By Jeanette G. Awai, Copywriter/Content & Creative Specialist
Coors Light Redefined Nightlife For The Pandemic
The Challenge
Coors Light is best known for its laid-back social activations and signature branding. Since 2020 due to COVID-19 restrictions nationwide, all brands within the alcohol segment were affected due to the inability to go out in-person to bars. The brand was in the midst of their “Made To Chill” campaign – a call to take a step back, turn off and make every occasion a Chill occasion, yet chill moments proved difficult to achieve during a global pandemic. Through an abundance of caution, people stayed home, and out-of-home signage marketing tactics were routinely missed by their target audience.
As their agency partner, Coors Light tasked us with designing iconic off-premise branding for the aptly named Chill Out Bar that would stand out and usher in the ‘new normal’ era of vibrant Tobago nightlife.
Our Solution
We prepared for potential infrastructural challenges by conducting industry and field research. The opportunity was clear to the creative team – the rebrand would allow us to push the design concept beyond local boundaries, be simple yet impactful, and accent Coors branding with seamless precision.
With Art Lead Gerrel Saunders at the helm, the creative team explored the design from a granular level, starting with pencil-drawn sketches of the bar from the viewpoints of a pedestrian and a driver because of the bar’s high-traffic location. An overhead view also factored into the design since Tobago is a popular tourist destination.
The sketches then evolved into 3D layouts incorporating sports-themed imagery to maintain a Sports Bar feel with branded couches, neon LED screens, and athletic silhouettes adorning a projector wall. The team ensured that the rebrand felt authentic to a Caribbean audience by adding the country-specific – Keeping Trinbago Chill sub-theme under the “Made To Chill” umbrella.
Results
The final out-of-home branding was a product of a true creative partnership that was determined to take things to the next level and so they did! Winning a Silver Addy Award in the Category: Out-of-Home Single Installation was a celebration not only for our agency, but our partner Coors Light, whose support and close collaboration throughout the process helped to secure this honour.