mike’s hard lemonade launches multimedia effort

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mike’s hard lemonade’s new campaign delivers the message: different is refreshing in life and in a beverage. The brand’s new multi-million dollar campaign includes TV, digital, mobile and social media. The centerpiece of the campaign – and the first work via Grey New York, the brand’s new AOR – is a series of TV spots featuring guys interacting at familiar drinking occasions, like golf and fishing.


The 30- and 15-second spots began airing 5/9 on male-centric networks including Comedy Central, E!, ESPN, F/X, NBA TV, SPIKE, TBS, Turner Sports, NBC Sports, Fuel and Speed and digital channels such as: hulu, ABC, NBC and Discovery Network.

Each of the commercials starts with the same scene, but then reveal a rotation of four humorous and unexpected finales to reinforce that when guys bring mike’s to the occasion, they never know how things will turn out. All the spots end with the tagline: “mike’s hard lemonade: Always Different, Always Refreshing.”

In one vignette, a golfer goes to retrieve his ball from the cup and two convicts on the lam burst from under the green with a policeman in pursuit. In another, he takes his ball out of the hole and a spontaneous lottery drawing ensues.

“We wanted to make good on our tagline of being ‘Always Different and Always Refreshing’ in this campaign,” said Andy Horrow, chief marketing officer of mike’s hard lemonade. “By using multiple refreshing endings, we engage and entertain our target guy and celebrate mike’s differentness in a way that’s as unexpected and unique as the brand itself.”

While TV ads will show consumers how to “Do Summer Different,” the series of digital engagement initiatives include video, mobile and social media that empower consumers to change things up and choose how the promotion plays out. The first execution (of nine total) is the invention of Cuatro de Mayo, a holiday sponsored by The Classic Margarita by mike’s. Facebook fans can submit fun song recommendations to an “unclassic Mariachi band” online and watch them play the song of their choice. But this and all other digital and mobile initiatives only happen if enough consumers green light the idea.

mike’s will also engage adventure-seekers via a breakthrough experiential partnership with LivingSocial in key brand markets. In a first for the beverage alcohol category, mike’s will serve as the exclusive adult beverage and sponsor for LivingSocial’s Adventures 21+ Memorial Day Weekend Summer Camp in New York; Labor Day Weekend Summer Camps in Washington, DC and New York; and one-day Adventures in Seattle, Los Angeles and Chicago featuring fun-in-the-sun type activities.

mike’s also launched cinema advertising in more than 750 theaters nationwide. The back-to-back 15-second spots also began 5/9, courtesy of Horizon Media. TPN Chicago will manage retail activation, promotional activity and point-of-sale materials for the summer campaign, under the banner of “Do Summer Different.”