With the Olympic Winter Games looming, non-alc beer brand, Corona Cero, is connecting podium-winning with everyday moments.
Created in partnership with its global team at creative agency, Grey, “For Every Golden Moment,” juxtaposes celebratory summer and winter sports. According to Natalie Lucas, head of above core marketing for Labatt Breweries of Canada, Corona Cero is designed for everyday enjoyment, winding down post-work, celebrating small wins, or taking a pause. “That ethos is perfectly captured in our Olympic campaign, ‘Golden Moments,’ which celebrates the joy found in life’s quieter victories.”
Among the campaign’s familiar faces is Mark McMorris, three-time Olympic snowboarding bronze medalist. McMorris and other Canadian athletes will be featured in an upcoming 10-episode interview series in partnership with CBC Sports.
The “Golden Moments” platform will feature brand activations, product sampling alongside the brand’s lime ritual, athlete engagement, out-of-home, experiential and trade programs, including Olympic-themed specially-marked packs of Corona Extra and Corona Cero across more than 25 select markets worldwide.
Lucas cites Nielsen data that Corona Cero is the fastest growing non-alcoholic beer brand in Canada, which she says reflects the strength of the brand, its position in helping grow the category and the momentum it has built through strategic partnerships and focused retail execution.
As a brand Corona Cero has been “highly active” at points of sale across Canada, with a focus on key urban markets like Toronto. Its retail strategy includes contesting, branded displays, sampling activations, as well as Olympic-themed executions that bring the brand to life in-store and drive awareness and trial. “As part of our celebration of the journey to Milano Cortina 2026, we’ve also introduced a national contest giving Canadians the chance to win access to the Games.”
Consumers can find specially-marked Olympic Winter Games packs of Corona Extra and Corona Cero at participating retailers across Canada.
The special edition Olympic-themed packaging was developed by global branding agency, JKR, as part of the broader campaign, but the Canadian execution was tailored locally.
What began at the Olympic Games in Paris 2024, Corona Cero’s Olympics partnership – making it the first non-alcoholic beer sponsor of the Olympic Winter Games – was ” a defining moment for Corona Cero,” which introduced it to 20 markets and reinforced its celebration/moderation message. Since then, Corona Cero has delivered high double-digit growth globally and expanded to over 55 countries.
“As the cultural shift toward moderation gains momentum, Corona Cero offers a timely and relevant alternative,” Lucas tells strategy, noting that consumers are increasingly turning to brands they know and love to support a more balanced lifestyle, and they’re choosing moderation. “We’re also seeing the category premiumize, with over 40% of non-alcoholic beer volume now coming from premium brands.”
Overall, the non-alcoholic category has more than doubled since 2020 and is now the fastest-growing beverage segment in Canada with non-alcoholic beer accounting for 85% of that growth. Momentum, Lucas says, that’s driven by the entry of trusted beer brands into the space, starting with Budweiser Zero, then Corona Cero (formerly Corona Sunbrew)and most recently, Michelob Ultra Zero.
“With the upcoming Winter Games, we’re building on that momentum as part of AB InBev’s global portfolio of balanced choices.”
The brand’s core audience includes wellness-minded adults, particularly millennials and Gen Z consumers who value moderation and social connection.
Toronto commuters got an early taste of Games fever as Corona Cero marked 100 days to the Olympic Winter Games at the end of October, kicking off its Golden Moments campaign with Sankofa/Yonge-Dundas Square and Union Station takeovers.
Godin Productions will be leading Canadian mountain activations, creating “immersive brand experiences” across the country, with further details to come in December. Salt XC is delivering consumer-facing moments.
