It’s been said that you sometimes have to taste the sour before you can appreciate sweet; that you’ve got to go from low to high… That you have to be “over” something to be into something else? Well, that might just be right. There’s talk that people are getting over beer and the masses are migrating towards Canadian Club. With the resurgence of Canadian Club and its new on-tap serving ritual, Beam Global approached Big Dog for the execution and management of their 2012 Trade Event. Big Dog has secured its name amongst the Australian hospitality industry as the people that do… NO, that slay, trade events. Beam Global came knocking on the right door and Big Dog was more than happy to answer the call.
Beam’s main request of Big Dog was to bring the creative of the Canadian Club TVC campaign to life and turn it into one hell of a party. Of course, we were happy to oblige, and once we actually saw the TVC our happiness turned to growling excitement! The creative of the TVC portrays two worlds existing side by side. One is the dirty and grimy Beer World, where unwashed and obnoxious beer fairies run rampant. Contrastingly, in the clean and pristine white alps of Canadian Club world everything is fresh and appealing. Ready, go… we set out to create real life Beer and Canadian Club world!
Once we found the perfect location, The Barkly Hotel, we could instantly see the event unfold before our eyes. The bottom level was scuffed up to resemble the grubby Beer World- complete with a stained bathtub, cockroaches, half eaten pizzas, old shoes and other stomach-churning hideousness! Beer fairies in unwashed, beer-stained singlets roamed the hall and greeted the stunned trade upon arrival. The lift to the main-room felt like stepping into a less than ideal bathroom, with custom-made basin and toilet elevator decals hugging the walls. Once the lift doors opened the transition into Canadian Club world was met with dropped jaws. People stepped into the Antarctic-lighted room, where soft white snow cascaded from the ceiling and glacier-like fog filled the room. Canadian club cocktails flowed and Canadian inspired canapés were served throughout the night. Trade enthusiastically participated with activations, such as a photo-booth and iPad games, which increased brand awareness in a fun and interactive manner. Trade shook the dance floor until the lights were flicked on and went home with kick arse branded headphones and slayer snow beanies so they could remember the stellar night.
Beam Global employees were receiving calls during the event from colleagues in Sydney asking, “what is this awesome party we’re seeing on Facebook?!”. ‘Likes’ on the Canadian Club Facebook page increased by hundreds straight after the event. Branded photos of trade were tagged to continue to reinforce Canadian Club presence in the social media realm. The positive reaction to the event and CC-revival has seen Canadian Club on-tap already become available in venues across Australia. The success of the event was summed up by the client in one sentence; “this has exceeded all expectations”!