Strongbow. Hard earned.

Our Strongbow campaign launched this Summer with a new endline: Bowtime. Hard Earned. It has already been reported as far afield as the New York Times and Forbes and was the choice of MSN as their video of the day.

Problem
Strongbow had a weak relationship with its drinkers and had an undefined role in their repertoire. As a result they too often order lager when they are out with their mates.

Insight
Our key target is grafters- builders, electricians, plasterers and so on. They work physically hard and have a real work ethic but feel unappreciated and undervalued. Too often they see rewards going to the undeserving.

Product
Strongbow is more refreshing than lager. Fans call it the ‘Bow.

The brand mission
Strongbow rewards hard graft.

The agenda setting idea
Bowtime. Hard Earned.

Where did the idea come from?
It's a tricky brief. Strongbow is tapping into something genuinely important to its drinkers - on one level this is serious stuff. But on the other hand, it was crucial to do this in a way that would be engaging and funny, not worthy or preaching. Striking this balance led us to the hyperbole of heroism in epic films like 300 and Gladiator - a fertile ground for the ads.

How does it work through the line?
Bowtime. Hard Earned. is the basis for every piece of activity. There is the Bowtime Bar at Festivals, The Bowtime show on Talksport, Bowtime promotions , the Bowtime Grafter of the year award in S & N and now there are Bowtime groups popping up on Facebook. Try Googling it and you will see three pages of natural search results.

Results
Strongbow volume has grown 35% in the four years we have worked with them.