Our challenge was launching a Lemon and Passion Fruit flavored beer in a market where prejudice against non-"pure malt" beers prevails, on April Fools' Day - a date on the Brazilian calendar known for spreading falsehoods among people.
Since the line between what's real and what's not is becoming increasingly blurred, we decided to play with that and create a new fruit that could very well be real.
That's how we created Frutassa - a fruit with the taste of beer, inspired by the Brazilian flora and typical of a warm climate. Yes, a lie. But many people preferred to believe it was real. Thousands of people commented, shared, and even asked for the fruit's seeds on social media.
The results? Those were indeed real - and they were a huge success.
Gen Z is a generation known for questioning what is real and what is not. The launch of this innovative product heightened its relevance, evolving into a core component of our strategy.
Digital platforms played a central role in the campaign, sparking interest in the concept of a "beer fruit" and subsequently in fruit-flavored beer. Influencers were instrumental in organically capturing their audience's attention.
Social media was crucial in bringing the rumor to life. In a country where beer is cherished, the notion that it could grow on trees resonated perfectly.
The proposal garnered so much interest that it motivated beer enthusiasts to cultivate the fruit at home, acquire barley juice from markets, and derive their beloved beverage from an entirely different source.
The novelty brought the freshness we sought, treated with the lightness it deserved.
The launch resulted in a substantial increase in Tropicaê sales, soaring from 4,300 hectoliters to 17,100 hectoliters. This remarkable sales curve is particularly noteworthy given the introduction of a new product category.
With a potential brand lift exceeding 99% and a 4.1-point increase, the campaign sparked a discussion about flavored beers that was previously unimaginable. It shifted the conversation from questioning the authenticity of the beer to something different, catering to those seeking novelty—precisely the opening we needed to attract new consumers and reduce reliance on core products.
Social Media Mentions: 1,228
Social Media Reach: 234.4 million
Social Media Engagements: 1.2 million
