Plan B™
The Agency Alternative
HACKER-PSCHORR
Freudian Sip Hacker-Pschorr has been brewing some of Germany’s finest beers since 1417. Their product is well known and appreciated throughout Europe, yet in the U.S. the brand was hardly known at all. This had led to diminishing sales at both retail and in bars, even at a time when ‘micro brews’ and other premium beers were surging. So they approached us to help generate increased trial at bars, thereby stimulating wholesale case sales and, ultimately, enhancing retail sales. After tasting their product, which is a ‘weisse’ beer (pronounced ‘vice’), we immediately realized that the biggest barrier to trial wasn’t the product taste, but rather, a general unfamiliarity with the brand. Beer drinkers simply didn’t know what Hacker-Pschorr was, and so they were unlikely to go out on a limb and try it unprompted. Our target was hip, younger beer drinkers — people who were open to new experiences and very tech savvy. They were also concerned with being seen as having discerning taste, and so had contributed to the growth in micro brews. So we developed a campaign that integrated traditional beer marketing tactics with new interactive technology, seeking to connect with beer drinkers in the two places where they spend a great deal of time: at their favorite bars, and online. We reasoned that if we could just get them to try the beer, and to view the brand as hip and cool, we could create an active preference for it. Enter the Weisse Squad: a crew of beautiful women dressed in provocative police uniforms and traveling in a specially painted Hummer, who visited bars and issued citations to anyone not drinking Hacker-Pschorr. They offered samples of the brew, distributed coupons for retail purchases, and snapped photos of offenders which were uploaded as ‘mug shots’ to the Weisse Squad website. The citation slips drove recipients to the site to view their mug shots, and track the next stop of the Weiss Squad. The site also encouraged them to email their mug shots to friends, creating a viral effect. The campaign was also supported by traditional components including radio, environmental media, and POS materials. To top it off, we developed bar toppers and signage promoting the proper way to pour a Hacker-Pschorr, which the Weisse Squad girls suggestively demonstrated for bar patrons. The campaign was launched in the heart of beer country — Milwaukee. This created a huge splash in the industry, and helped to generate a significant increase in both wholesale case sales and retail purchases.