Corona has a sunny disposition about the new, alcohol-free addition to its lineup.
The beer – called Corona Sunbrew 0.0% – is the brand’s entry into the increasingly competitive non-alcoholic space. It is launching first in the Canadian market, and boasts a 0.0% alcohol content that “allows consumers to enjoy the essence of Corona – including our brand’s beliefs to relax and disconnect – but now without the alcohol,” says Mike Bascom, senior marketing director for the brand in Canada.
The beverage is intended to tap into a growing market in which the brand’s parent company, AB InBev, already plays with other brands, like Budweiser Zero and Stella Artois 0.0. The company has previously announced plans for no- or low-alcohol beer to represent 20% of its global beer volumes by 2025.
Demand for non-alcoholic beverages in Canada climbed 12% in 2021, “making Canadians best positioned to be the first in the world to experience Sunbrew 0.0% and provide insights for future global rollouts,” says Bascom.
This better-for-you appeal is directly targeted at the significant portion of the non-alcoholic beverage market composed of smart and “sober curious” drinkers who are seeking healthier lifestyle options.
While the space is highly competitive, Corona is banking on the strength of its brand and a key differentiating factor to set its brew apart: it contains 30% of the daily value of Vitamin D per 330mL serving, says Bascom, while boasting a meagre 60 calories.
That Vitamin D content is a key part of the launch timing, which is capitalizing on the fact that Sunbrew is hitting shelves at a time when Canadians get less sunlight during the day. It features in a new video created by David Miami, which shows scenes of beaches teaming with life and activity as the sun rises.
The “Sunshine, Anytime” concept is also expected to be used when the product rolls out to other markets: a U.K. launch is planned for later this year, with other “key markets” in Europe, South America and Asia following.
The new offering is also part of a series of innovations from Corona designed to appeal to a broader range of socially conscious customers in recent years.
In 2021, the brand announced the KeelClip packaging system, which reduces the amount of cardboard used in its cartons by 65%. It also partnered with the Global Innovation and Technology Center to introduce new packaging for its six-packs that employs surplus barley straw and recycled paper fibres.
“Corona is committed to continually innovating to meet consumer needs and evolve with the changing cultural trends across Canada,” says Bascom.