Corona is one of the world’s most iconic beers, practically synonymous with beaches, lime, and relaxation. But Gen Z drinkers don’t reach for beer the same way their Millennial and Gen X predecessors did – they choose flavor. These “flavor seekers” were opting for alternatives like seltzers and malt beverages filled with artificial ingredients. When they picked up a Corona, they put a twist on the traditional squeeze of lime and crafted their own cocktails like the Corona Sunrise or Blue Corona.
To quench their thirst for flavorful, unfiltered refreshment, Corona created something new: Corona Sunbrew Citrus Cerveza. Brewed with real orange and lime peels, Sunbrew is full of real lime and orange flavor without artificial ingredients.
With a summer 2024 launch, we knew we had to get the beer of the summer in the hands of Gen Zers. Our challenge was to capture their elusive attention and telegraph the real citrus flavor of Corona Sunbrew that would pique their curiosity.
Goals:
Gen Z is arguably the most observed generation in human history. With the ability to get millions of eyeballs on their day-to-day lives via social media, we’ve effectively watched them grow up from eating Tide pods to quiet-quitting their first jobs. Rather than present a polished, perfected version of themselves like Millennials before them, they show up digitally exactly as they are IRL. And honestly, we love that. Because when we encounter true, unfiltered realness, it’s refreshing and unexpected. The same could be said for Corona Sunbrew – a delicious, citrusy cerveza brewed with juice and peels from real oranges and limes amidst a sea of uninspiring flavor. So to reach Gen Z, Corona Sunbrew needed to show up in a refreshingly real way just like they do and inspire them to let their true selves shine.
Not only did we need to capture the authenticity Gen Z exudes, but Corona Sunbrew needed to stand out as a beacon of unfiltered refreshment in a social media sea of celebrity-sponsored posts and PR package unboxings. So we set out to recruit Gen Z influencers who let their true selves shine in every piece of content to be the first to announce Corona Sunbrew’s regional launch. And we didn't stop there – we knew we couldn’t just ask them to take a few sips and recite marketing copy. To capture the refreshing realness of Corona Sunbrew and Gen Z’s attention, we needed to think outside the cardboard box.
We eschewed the traditional unboxing in favor of a sensorial experience, wrapping Corona Sunbrew bottles in life-like orange and lime peels that felt and smelled like the real thing. To build anticipation and solidify the fresh-from-the-grove experience, we shipped the wrapped bottles in fruit crates that lit up with sunshine when opened. The result was a “peel and reveal” moment in which our influencers unveiled Corona Sunbrew to the northeast in a way that felt fresh, immersive, and undeniably shareable.
To continue building awareness and demand, our influencers followed the launch announcement with a glimpse into how they let their true selves shine while enjoying Corona Sunbrew. From creative pursuits to quality time with close companions, these “shine stories” served up authentic inspiration to our Gen Z audience while reinforcing the beer’s bright, refreshing flavors.
We continued to meet Gen Z where they were with a campaign of short-form vertical video placements across Meta, YouTube, and Snapchat. Instead of leveraging highly polished footage shot with actors on a set, we used the video content from our influencers in these placements to seamlessly integrate into their feeds.
We also took our refreshingly real message offline and met Gen Z where they were in real life with out-of-home placements, including unique, engaging formats like a 3D billboard and a painted mural. To succinctly and memorably communicate Corona Sunbrew’s refreshingly real flavor to them, we used the language Gen Z created and used amongst themselves by declaring “real citrus has entered the chat” and “in our citrus era.”
