There have been some really great Australian beer campaigns. This really isn’t one of them. Special Group has had a go at pitching Carlton Dry against the boutique brands that are invading mainstream beer’s territory. The idea of a person as a bottle of Carlton delivering a monologue about making things simple, like beer…? Well, it’s not as good as the strategy, which is getting back to making things uncomplicated. That’s rather appealing right now. There are two ads in the campaign. In one, the Carlton Dry bottle is a woman. That idea is not as good as the strategy of Carlton Dry as a unisex beer, either. But this is the right time for that strategy too.

Revolver/Will O’Rourke has conquered a tricky brief. There’s polish to the production.

Hayden Turner, senior marketing manager, Carlton Dry, commented (nonetheless), “When we talk to our consumers they tell us that Carlton Dry is the most easy drinking beer on the market, super refreshing with an uncomplicated taste profile and that’s why they love it. The Group has uncovered the magic that sits behind this truth and we are very excited to see it hit the market.”

The campaign, Be Like The Beer, is Special Group’s first work after joining the CUB roster as agency of record for Carlton Dry in December 2107. It’s running on TV, in cinema, social and digital.

Julian Schreiber, executive creative director and partner, Special Group, commented, “Carlton Dry has always strived be an uncomplicated beer for a complicated world. So it made sense to let the beer itself be the voice of reason and point out what’s happening all around us. If you think about it, beers have probably seen it all.”

Tom Martin, executive creative director and partner, Special Group, added, Be like the Beer came from the simple insight that being uncomplicated like the taste of Carlton Dry is something to actually aspire to. It immediately positioned Dry as the kind of beer we’d want more of as we find ourselves overwhelmed by things that used to be no-brainers.”

Credits:

Creative Agency: Special Group
Chief Executive Officer & Partner: Lindsey Evans
Managing Director & Partner: Cade Heyde
Planning Partner: Dave Hartmann
Executive Creative Directors & Partners: Tom Martin & Julian Schreiber
Creative Directors: Jack Nunn & Nils Eberhardt
Creatives: Jack Nunn, Nils Eberhardt, Harry Stanford & Nick Plomp
Business Lead: Tori Magill
Executive Producer: Paul Johnston

Production Company: Revolver/Will O’Rourke
Director: Trevor Clarence
Managing Director & Executive Producer: Michael Ritchie
Executive Producer: Pip Smart
Producer: Serena Paull
Director of Photography: Russell Boyd
Editor: Stuart Morley
Post Production: Blockhead
Casting: Danny Long Casting
Audio: Rumble Studios

Media agency: PHD

Client: CUB

Brand Director for Contemporary Beers: Brian Phan
VP Marketing APAC South: Richard Oppy
Carlton Dry Senior Marketing Manager: Hayden Turner
Carlton Dry Brand Manager: Bianca Robortaccio