#Campaigns: When the TV personae of beer & cider meet up

by MarkLives (@marklives) Today Distell is breaking its new TVC for EDGE, its new category-breaker, right here on MarkLives. We feature the “Distell EDGE — Where Beer and Cider Meet” ad from agency Net#work BBDO plus insight into the brief, creative idea and production challenges.

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Client: Distell
Ad agency: Net#work BBDO
Title: Where Beer and Cider Meet

Information supplied by Distell.

Brief

Our brief to the agency was deceptively simple: we didn’t want to launch yet another alcohol brand; we wanted to create an entirely new category. This ad had to be a compelling and surprising touchpoint that would establish and entrench this category-breaker by intriguing consumers into discovering the unique proposition of EDGE. At the same time, it needed to be simple, engaging and provocative — with an irreverent tonality. However, we’re also deadly serious about EDGE: it’s a category-breaker that delivers the satisfaction of beer AND refreshment of cider!

Creative summary

To us, the EDGE drinker is a man on a mission, on a journey to forge his own identity. He literally lives the brand by bridging different worlds: he might live in the township but works in the city. He’s smart, charming and well-travelled. Most of all, he doesn’t allow himself to be defined by expectations of society.

What’s amazing about EDGE is that the taste is unique for everyone but consumers have consistently played back about how pleasantly surprising the drink is. That’s why we wanted to use the metaphor of the well-known beer and cider personalities meeting, and enjoying EDGE. EDGE is where beer and cider actually meet. Our tagline, “izokumangaza”, doesn’t just encapsulate the drink but also the drinker. Both will surprise those who have preconceived ideas by challenging convention in a witty and confident manner!

Resources

The process behind this ad started way back in August 2018 — ironically enough, on International Beer Day. That’s when we started building the space into which we could launch this product, and this ad, both in the market and in the consumer’s mind.

We took our consumers on our journey of discovery with us which validated the opportunity for the category breaker in the market but also highlighted the best marketing approach to get into the hearts and minds of the consumer. We have focused on bringing the brand to life in our consumers’ environment through a strong BTL approach and engaging with them in the places they hang out.

This initial phase of the launch brings the brand proposition to life on our digital and social platforms and through which we have chosen to launch this memorable and cut-through ad.

Credits

Client

Distell
Global head, RTDs: Kushilla Thomas
Global brand development manager: Vithesh Ramklown
Global Brand Development Manager: Michelle Michael

Agency

Net#work BBDO

Production

Production company: they shoot films

Updated at 11.56am and 11.46am on 29 April 2019.

#Campaigns is the new weekly MarkLives column featuring insight into the brief, creative idea, production challenges and results of South African communication campaigns, both ongoing and recent. Have a campaign worthy of being featured in #Campaigns? Submit a short motivation to and we may well be in touch. Please include links to campaign material, when it ran/is running and why you believe it should be featured.

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