Kopparberg

The fruit cider category, while heavily influenced by the weather, has become increasingly competitive, with brands vying to become the drink of choice on sunny days. In 2024, this competition was particularly fierce due to the Euros, with brands competing for space in a crowded market.

Kopparberg tasked us with increasing loyalty with their bullseye audience, aged 25–34. While this is a broad group, our extensive research into their behaviours, habits, and drinking preferences highlighted an important insight: although Kopparberg has the highest penetration in the category, their key strength of early recruitment into the brand was becoming a challenge. We needed to inject energy and sophistication into the brand with a partnership that resonated with the audience. 

The Brief

The standard “drink responsibly” message is a well-known feature across all alcohol advertising and products, but we identified an additional element for the summer season. Our research indicated that sun exposure, often overlooked in the fun summer narrative, poses a significant health risk, with it being the most common form of cancer affecting Kopparberg’s target audience (25–29-year-olds). Between 2009 and 2019, skin cancer cases in the UK rose by nearly a third, with people frequently unaware of their level of exposure until it was too late.

Kopparberg’s ‘Drink Responsibly This Summer’ campaign aimed to broaden the concept of “drinking responsibly” to include sun awareness. By endorsing drinking responsibly in their own unique, playful manner, we ensured that Kopparberg became associated with a sophisticated lifestyle, allowing consumers to enjoy their summer in the sunshine while sipping Kopparberg. 

What We Did

We recognised that outdoor media would be the perfect medium to deliver a sun-focused message to audiences actively enjoying the sun. However, we also knew that traditional outdoor advertising lacked both the UV data and the ability to dynamically respond to UV levels.

To bring this campaign to life, we partnered with The Weather Company, a division of IBM based in the US that produces weather data used by broadcasters and meteorologists around the world (including real-time measures of the UV index), and The Trade Desk, working with teams across London, Australia, and Singapore to implement a UV-based targeting system for UK media. This solution represented a media first in the UK, allowing us to match live UV data with advertising flighting for enhanced message relevance.

The UV data, broken down by postcode, enabled us to adjust the campaign’s flighting and weight based on local UV levels, specifically targeting postcodes with retailers or venues selling Kopparberg. By working closely with the creative agency Neverland, we developed nine creative executions to match different UV index levels, ensuring the message was both contextually relevant and eye-catching. This dynamic approach positioned Kopparberg as the protector of fun, reminding consumers to be sun-smart while enjoying their cider.