While the appearances from Leona Lewis and a couple of Spice Girls may have ensured that the Dreamworks movie ‘Mr Peabody & Sherman’ sponsorship of London’s 2013 Regent Street Christmas Lights grabbed the PR limelight,
arguably more innovative and multi-channel festive city light sponsorship campaign can be found in Brighton in the form of Grolsch’s ‘Green Light District’.
The premium lager brand is again rolling out a two-week, December multi-channel campaign in the south coast city which spans experiential work, ambient media, social, PR and promotional activity.
The initiative’s objective is to leverage the festive period to drive consumer engagement and trial of the premium lager.
The lager brand has worked with both the Leith Agency and experiential agency ‘LIFE Experience’ on the Green Light District activation.
The activation includes the famous Brighton Wheel switching lighting colour for the first time ever – moving from its familiar white to Grolsch’s signature green.
Brighton’s famous New Road will also turn its white lights green and will be populated by mobile street teams of brand ambassadors handing out ‘District Maps’ highlighting the participating cluster of Grolsch bars.
These maps will not only include directions to the ‘green lit’ branded bars, but also contain coupons for a free bottle of Grolsch.
Another strand of the campaign sees Grolsch brand a set of Brighton’s taxi tuk-tuks tpo provide a branded utility for revellers who prefer to be driven rather than to walk.
The Green Light District participating bars, which will have campaign specific external and internal green light effects, will offer consumers special Grolsch green tables with access to on-demand table service via bespoke branded ‘Grolsch Buttons’ that will enable consumers to order Grolsch delivered directly.
The image and light graffiti expressionist artist Michael Bonsanko will also entertain consumers with an interactive Grolsch light show – including on-premises request photos uploaded to a super screen.
Consumers will be invited to create their own ‘light graffiti’ and share their personal light expression photos on their Facebook pages (and thus also enter a competition with the best image winning a trip to a Grolsch Light Graffiti workshop in Amsterdam).
The experiential and physical activity will be supported digitally primarily through the Grolsch UK Facebook page which acts as a campaign hub.
‘The activity in Brighton represents the first of what is set to be a widespread roll out across our key city consumer hot spots, which will include London,’ explains Grolsch UK brand manager Sophie Erskine.
‘The Green Light District’ activity not only provides a fun and memorable experience for consumers, but the interactive elements will also appeal to our trade customers.’
Comment
December is obviously the month for light-led alliances and sponsorships, but this campaign certainly stands out by avoiding most of the classic Christmas clichés.
Brighton has long been a town known for its idiosyncratic creativity and strong art scene, but whether the work could engage more topically with even an original or obscure Christmas connection remains to be seen.
This festive town takeover follows 2013 significant increase in Grolsch Uk marketing.
Campaigns this year have ranged from its ‘Swingtop Challenge’, to appointing Karmarama to create new digital and social campaigns emphasising the brand’s Dutch credentials.
Links
Grolsch UK Facebook
Grolsch UK Website
