After a red-hot start Molson Coors Beverage Company’s big bet in the seltzer space is ready for primetime – literally.
Vizzy Hard Seltzer is launching a new national advertising campaign this week across TV and digital platforms that aims to introduce the brand to new legal-age drinkers.
Entitled “Why Wouldn’t You Choose Antioxidant Vitamin C?,” a series of new 6- and 15-second spots give consumers an option: Given the choice between dozens of hard seltzers, why not choose the one with antioxidant vitamin C?
The ads from Johannes Leonardo take on the point from an absurdist point of view: judges considering a trio of Lhasa Apsos at a dog show, a couple flipping through an endless queue of similar reality TV shows, a neighborhood of homes that look alike – but with one key difference: antioxidant vitamin C.
“All of the hard seltzers out there are basically the same: the same white packaging, the same flavors, same calories and carbs. Vizzy counters that sea of sameness with a unique ingredient – antioxidant vitamin C from acerola superfruit. The campaign brings that to the forefront to make a drinker’s choice really simple,” says Matt Escalante, Molson Coors’ senior director of above premium flavor.
Plenty of legal age consumers that choose to drink already are making that choice, data show. Following its national launch in March, Vizzy’s 12-pack variety packs rank as the No. 3 new item across the entire beer and malt category in 2020, according to Nielsen all-outlet and convenience data through July 4. And Beer Business Daily reported June 26 that Vizzy is already the No. 5 fastest-moving brand in the category with higher repeat rates than both Corona Seltzer and Bud Light Seltzer variety packs through mid-May.
Vizzy appears to be resonating with legal age consumers looking for a hard seltzer that brings something additional to the table, Escalante says. Each 12-ounce serving contains 100 calories, 1 gram of sugar and 5% alcohol by volume. It comes in four flavor combinations: Pineapple Mango, Black Cherry Lime, Blueberry Pomegranate and Strawberry Kiwi. Its distinctive orange packaging adds another element of differentiation, Escalante says.
“The packaging is the first interaction we have with consumers. It stands out and grabs attention with bright orange color and fun personality, and then shows off our antioxidant vitamin C from acerola superfruit point of difference, ” Escalante says.
The teeming success of Vizzy and hard seltzers, in general – the category is up triple digits this year alone, aided in part by pantry loading in the second quarter of 2020 – has Molson Coors optimistic about the segment, with anticipation growing for the launch of Coors Seltzer in September.
The company is so bullish on its hard seltzer prospects that it is investing millions in its Fort Worth brewery to support production of Vizzy and other beyond-beer beverages. The investment, which includes the installation of a new canning line completed earlier this year and a state-of-the-art filtration system expected to be finished later this fall, will allow Molson Coors to expand production by 400%.