The objectives for the stunt were to demonstrate Molson’s passion for hockey and solidify our claim as the #1 beer brand for hockey fans in Canada.
Canada is the most irrationally hockey obsessed nation in the world. And to prove we’re just as hockey obsessed as our fans, we built a hockey rink in the craziest place we could think of—32 floors up on a skyscraper rooftop in Toronto.
Utilizing Facebook and Instagram, we challenged our online community of hockey-obsessed fans to demonstrate their own passion for the game and earn their way up to play on the rink. And by building the rink someplace accessible and visible to the public, we knew fans would post pictures on social media to generate interest on a massive scale.
To qualify for the Rooftop Rink contest, fans had to submit their story of hockey obsession, using the hashtag “#AnythingForHockey on social. Thousands of entries led to five winners being selected to play against a handful of NHL legends for an unforgettable night game on the roof, which was filmed for both :30 TV and long format online video. Following the film shoot, there was so much demand to play on the roof, we kept it up a month longer than anticipated, allowing more than 2,200 fans to make their way up.
The Rooftop Rink became a national beacon, attracting Canadians from coast coast who begged, borrowed and stole their way up to play on it. Some even paid as much as $2000 for the chance to get up and skate around on our giant, frozen billboard in the sky. The PR reach from the stunt surpassed that of all other media in the campaign, with every touchpoint helping to amplify the message, from events hosted on the rink to the involvement of lifestyle influencers.
? After the campaign ran, Molson Canadian was ranked the #1 brand consumers prefer to drink while watching hockey, despite being overspent by closest rival, US beer brand Budweiser.
? Attribute rating of Molson Canadian in terms of relating to hockey fans saw a +3% lift in a Nielsen Brand Lift Study for those exposed to our campaign.
? A total of 17,000 #AnythingForHockey mentions representing contest entries, influencer content and on-rink experiences. ? With over 30,000 inquires on rink access in twelve days, Molson Canadian decided to open up access to more fans, the business community, charitable organizations and even the Toronto Maple Leafs and other NHL alumni.