Lakeport Breweries, which produces a variety of discount beers, has just started a contest asking drinkers in Ontario to spoof over-the-top beer ads. The campaign is targeting the 19-to-29 and 40-plus demographics.
Titled ‘It’s All in the Beer,’ the marketing push invites Facebook users to create their own video, radio and billboard ads spoofing the aggressive tactics of beer marketing, or they can simply vote for their favourite entry. Entrants and voters will have the chance to win one of five big screen televisions.
‘Facebook is geared to that whole social side, and this contest is very much in that vein,’ says explains Tom Rolfe, brand manager of Lakeport Breweries. The decision to use Facebook as a platform for this contest wasn’t merely due to the website’s social networking capabilities, but also the potential of reaching a large portion of Lakeport’s targeted demographic. ‘The majority of beer drinkers, particularly beer drinkers in Ontario, are on Facebook,’ says Rolfe.
Radio, print and online advertisements direct potential contestants to the website. The strategy of the campaign is to highlight Lakeport’s value-driven brand. Radio spots will be heard on a variety of Ontario radio stations. The print ads will appear in the Beer Store’s Chill magazine. Additionally, there will be ads on a variety of websites, including: MSN.ca, TSN.ca and Yahoo.ca. M2 Universal handled the media planning and purchasing. The contest runs between March 16 and midnight on April 30.
