1,8

Background

In April 2020, the Mexican government, in its wisdom, declared that brewing beer was a non-essential business activity and all breweries were ordered to suspend activities.

Since Mexico is the fourth-largest producer of beer in the world and Mexican beers are exported to the world, 650,000 jobs were at stake.

Idea

According to Mexican law, a drink below 2% alcohol is not considered an alcoholic drink. So Victoria, the most popular brand in the country, took advantage of this anomaly and began to make, market and distribute a beer that was not legally a beer. Victoria 1,8, with 1.8% alcohol, was a beer born to help.

It was packaged in black cans with a message urging Mexicans to stay strong. For two months Victoria 1,8 had the market to itself before Corona, the world’s biggest beer brand, produced its own 1.8% beer.

Results

In two weeks, Victoria 1,8 sold the same amount of hectolitres that Stella Artois sells in a year.

Revenue was reported to be 141% more than business as usual.

The brand adapted to the new digital entertainment landscape, talking to a captive audience of 44 million people at streaming concerts, with a positive feeling of 91%.

Jobs at the brewery stayed open and the economic and social impact of Covid was reduced all the way down the supply chain.

Our Thoughts

The dilemma for the editorial team at Directory is while we want fresh, new work we also like campaigns with meaningful results. So, while this is a year old now, its impact is still being felt in Mexico.

A government that bans beer at a time of national crisis is a government woefully out of touch with its people. Here’s ABINBEV showing exactly how brands can step in when the country’s leadership fails its people. The clenched fist on the can expressed a collective anger and every mouthful of 1,8 became a gesture of defiance. No wonder sales went through the roof.