Le Trou du diable (translation: “the devil’s den”) is tapping the devil-may-care attitude that befits its name by playing cryptic backwards messages in a new campaign.
The microbrew is having fun with the notion that hidden messages are revealed when songs are played in reverse – accusations levied at a variety of artists from Queen to The Beatles – and launching the very first radio ad in Quebec recorded backwards.
It is inviting consumers to decipher a dark, subliminal message to win a special Halloween prize, via its “languedudiable” microsite, which allows people to spin Le Trou du diable’s album backwards.
“We can’t wait to see how the community reacts to the language of the devil,” says Marie-Michelle Rioux, assistant brand manager of Le Trou du diable. “It’s the first time we’ve added a voice to our brand and, in our opinion, Halloween is the perfect time.”
The radio spot, on air for a total of seven days, will gradually be updated over time to reveal more clues.
On the website, in addition to listening to the original ad, people can also check out the other eight tracks on the album, including an “auditory tasting” of the microbrewery’s eight featured beers, all shared in “the devil’s language.”
To promote the initiative, the company created the official campaign album and sent it to influencers across the province of Quebec. With the help of a QR code, content creators, journalists and radio hosts were invited to join in the fun and engage their listeners and beer lovers in the virtual experience.
The radio campaign is on air on Quebec radio stations until end of day, and contest details can also be found on the microbrasserie’s Facebook and Instagram pages.
The agency behind the work is Sid Lee, which won Le Trou du diable’s business earlier this year.
Le Trou du diable has opted for mischievous messaging previously, in a campaign by former AOR Koze, portraying itself as a troublemaker and acknowledging the role beer has in occasionally being a launchpad for bad ideas.
