Moosehead Radler is charting a new course with golf merch.
The Fruit Wedge, developed by creative AOR Conflict, is a branded cooler sleeve that can chill six short cans of Moosehead Radler.
Niall Kelly, partner and CD at Mooshead AOR Conflict, tells strategy the Radler brand has been building on its connection to outdoor activity. Last summer, in what was then the largest campaign for Radler, Moosehead offered local and beer league sports teams the chance to score their own corporate sponsorship.
Kelly says focusing on recreational leagues ended up being “a big success.” Radler’s core group of fans tends to overindex on fun, leisurely competition – which means they tend to gravitate towards golf. And similar to recreational sports leagues, golf is a fun, leisurely summer activity that is linked to having a beer or two on the course.
“We’ve rebranded Moosehead lager now and Radler, the whole lineup, trying to appeal to the brand’s core fans,” he says. “With that, comes making merch that can be a little more special, a little more limited run.”
The Fruit Wedge is available for purchase on Moosehead’s own site, as well as select grocery and liquor stores across Canada. Kelly says what could have been a basic trade program giveaway has turned into a positive brand expression that reminds people that Radler is a refreshing option, particularly on the back nine.
This is also the first major project where Conflict worked closely with Moosehead’s trade team. This was done to make sure the brand could connect all the dots by having an ad spot directly linked to merch, and avoid the disconnect sometime seen on premise or at point-of-sale with occasionally confusing messaging.
The brand is getting the word out primarily by social, with an Instagram hero spot that showcases the Fruit Wedge as a player plays with golf-related puns.
Media Experts provided paid media support for the campaign. PR is being handled by Craft Public Relations.
