Old Mout Cider is a British-flavoured cider celebrated for its delicious natural fruit flavours and inclusive ethos.
In summer, the brand aimed to position itself as the go-to cider for Gen Z and Millennials while inspiring them to envision the brand’s new conceptual world of “Moutopia” when choosing their drink.
“Moutopia” is a bold, imaginative brand world where people connect so that everyone, no matter how different, can live together harmoniously, “side by cider”.
In a competitive cider market saturated with traditional messaging, the campaign needed to:
The challenge: introduce Old Mout’s unique flavours and personality to a new generation of cider drinkers increasingly saturated with predictable alcohol advertising.
Through the creativity of influencers, we aimed to spark a conversation about flavour, fun, and togetherness—bringing "Moutopia" to life in a way that felt as vibrant as Old Mout’s flavours.
The challenges & idea:
For over 75 years, Old Mout has been the go-to for premium flavoured cider. But its popularity had started to dip.
Mainstream cider brands applied pressure while shifting consumer trends—namely the meteoric rise of no and low-alcohol drinks among younger demographics—reshaped the market.
By 2024, 44% of 18-24-year-olds were opting for alcohol alternatives, a 13% increase from 2022.
Factor in the surge of innovation shaking up the category, Old Mout needed a fresh strategy to stay ahead.
Old Mout introduced a bold new brand world, "Moutopia”—a vibrant, imaginative concept that brings people together ‘Side By Cider’, to cut through a highly competitive cider market.
But like much of the cider category, Old Mout is heavily weather-dependent—more so than beer. While a pint of beer works year-round, cider is often associated with sunny days and pub gardens, making it highly seasonal. With an unpredictable UK summer, we needed a strategy to overcome this and position Old Mout as the go-to cider for Gen Z and Millennials.
Audience insight:
Old Mout’s research found that 18-34-year-olds valued self-expression and meaningful connection, directly contrasting with the “premium” connotations usually associated with alcohol.
91% of 18-25-year-olds say there’s no longer ‘mainstream’ pop culture.
So when it came to finding the right talent, we used this insight to prioritise values over interests, bringing together creators with various passion points and interests. Our talent was split into two creative cohorts: Interpretive Artists & Flavour Enthusiasts.
Creator Strategy:
We leveraged the creativity of influencers to bring Moutopia to life. Instead of relying on product placement or partnering with traditional foodie influencers, we broke out-of-category norms and brought creators together of all passion points and interests.
We invited unexpected talent like AI artists, nail artists and digital creators to interpret Moutopia through their unique style and chosen creative medium. Our talent selection ensured we’d get the fresh, eye-catching content needed to stand out.
What’s more, their content didn’t hinge on sunshine or seasonal cues, allowing us to maintain relevance regardless of the weather.
By prioritising creators who resonated with our target audience’s values rather than sticking to predictable interests, we mirrored our audience’s approach to culture and individuality—positioning Old Mout as a brand that celebrates creativity, self-expression, and unexpected flavour.
EXECUTION
We collaborated with 17 creators, divided into two creative cohorts, who used their artistic styles and personalities to bring the blends of Old Mout to life, generating visually striking content across Instagram and, for the first time for the brand, YouTube shorts.
All content celebrated Old Mout’s playful and premium identity while showcasing the imaginative blends inside every bottle, including:
Creators were tasked with interacting with Old Mout’s OOH billboards featuring QR codes to unlock Snap AR filters and access branded merchandise giveaways. This integration extended the campaign’s reach beyond digital, connecting creators to real-world touchpoints.
Our creator content powered a cross-platform digital campaign, amplified through paid media and brand-owned social channels to ensure maximum reach and engagement.
Age-gated content, legal regulations and alcohol advertising restrictions added a layer of complexity to our campaign.
We successfully differentiated Old Mout as a refreshing and flavourful alternative to everyday ciders and delivered both cultural and commercial impact:
Influencers had the largest impact on campaign effectiveness vs other channels like Display and CTV:
This campaign is a best-in-class case study within Heineken UK, showcasing the power of working with influencers for its beer and cider brands.
Audiences loved it too:
