Patrons at select Toronto bars are spending some time in the “lime light,” thanks to a new out-of-home initiative from Corona.
As part of its ongoing “Find your beach” campaign introduced in late spring, the beer brand recently introduced the “Corona Sun Beam” initiative. It features a 240-square foot reflective panel – mounted 60-feet above the ground on a Corona-branded crane – that directs sunlight onto shaded patios.
The initiative is aligned with the “Find your beach” campaign by enabling beer drinkers to further enjoy the fleeting summer season, said Becky Lindsey, brand manager for Corona at Labatt Breweries of Canada. “The idea of wanting to make the most of summer is a pretty far-reaching and should hopefully resonate with a lot of Canadians,” she said.
The program is specifically targeting patios that lose a lot of natural sunlight because of surrounding buildings. The first iteration took place at Clinton’s Tavern in Toronto’s Bloor St. West neighbourhood, while other locations have yet to be determined.
“A lot of work and thought was put into how the sunbeam itself was going to be constructed, and a lot of work went into making sure we were bringing it to the right places, and patios that can benefit from it,” said Lindsey.
All of the activations will take place in Toronto, although a one-minute video showing the program’s creation is also housed on Corona’s YouTube channel.
Lindsey said activations would continue through the next week, although the weather will determine how many are completed.
Toronto agency Zulu Alpha Kilo conceived and managed the creative execution, while The Hive is overseeing the brand-activation component at various establishments. Media was supplied by UM Canada, while Veritas handled public relations.
It’s not the first time Corona has looked to the sky for its marketing inspiration. Last year, the brand’s U.S. office partnered with agency Cramer-Krasselt to create a billboard (hyperlink: http://www.adweek.com/adfreak/crescent-moon-becomes-lime-bottle-heavenly-corona-billboard-nyc-150273) that made a crescent moon look like the slice of lime that is a fixture in its bottles.
Labatt assumed responsibility for the Corona brand on March 1 after its parent company AB InBev acquired full ownership of Mexican brewer Grupo Modelo – which makes Corona – in a US$20.1 billion deal last year.
