Desperados / Desperados & 'The Very Best'
Brief
Increase consideration of Desperados beer among a more experimental audience that likes to stand out from the crowd. Desperados is a beer flavoured with tequila. A unique taste experience that combines the sweetness of tequila flavours with the bitterness of high quality, golden beer.
Strategy
Since starting work with Desperados, our approach has been to turn them from an advertiser to a publisher of engaging and authentic content, tools and experiences. As part of this strategy we've looked to collaborate with creative talent to stage branded events with an unexpected twist that leads to a more intense experience. Our choice of creative talent has been those who take a more experimental approach to the end product, whether that be urban music, freestyle sport or street art.
Activity
Electro Afro Pop band The Very Best had a problem. They were scheduled to perform a London gig, in collaboration with Desperados Beer, but their African lead singer, Esau Mwamwaya, wasn't able to enter the country with his Malawi passport. Instead of canceling the concert, the brand had a better idea: Do it anyway. In partnership with Vice Magazine, we flew a technical team to Lilongwe, Malawi, and captured footage of Mwamwaya in front of a green screen, performing a full-length concert complete with "interactions" with his absent fellow band members. Then, the footage was combined into the band's live performance in East London, after telling the audience that he wouldn't actually appear on stage at all. It was a sensational live performance featuring his bandmates and guest vocalists (including Afrikan Boy and Seye).
Results
The event itself was hosted by Vice and attracted the most influential London creative crowd, resulting in strong social buzz and post-event blog posts. Film of the event has only just been launched (update to come!) but has been well received online among Desperados Fans and the wider music community. It has also been critically recognised, featuring as Ad Age 'Creativity Pick of The Day' and Creativity-Online 'Pick of The Day'.
Creativity-Online