2022 Winner

CASE SUMMARY

Notes IPA is the latest brew to be released by SingleCut Beersmiths, an NYC craft brewery that’s inspired by rock ’n’ roll. Every craft beer the brewery produces pays homage to rock music. The agency’s brief from the client was to develop concepts for a new beer that celebrates the brand’s rock ’n’ roll roots.

Most people think they’re great guitarists after a few beers. If Notes IPA could inspire people to pick up a guitar and genuinely improve their skills, it would become the purest fusion of craft beer and rock music. Notes IPA is the first beer crafted to teach you guitar. Going far beyond the original ask, they brought the beer to life in a fully integrated, 360-degree campaign, which spanned product naming, branding, package and product design, posters, and digital extensions.

Every can of Notes IPA comes equipped with an injection-moulded guitar pick that fits right on the pull tab. These custom picks were designed to not only pop open the beer but also pop off for you to
use to practice guitar.

Four-packs of the beer come with four distinct labels, each displaying a foundational guitar chord: C, D, G, and E minor. By gripping the can like you would a guitar, you can learn the finger positions for each chord and get a feel for the strings through the label’s tactile finish.

For an interactive demonstration, you can scan the Snapchat code on the label to unlock an augmented reality (AR) guitar lesson. This mobile experience allows you to visualize finger positions for each chord right on the can, hear how the chords should sound, and
create shareable music.

Custom shipping tubes were also designed in the form of a guitar neck. Each tube comes with the beer with pull tab picks and a limited-edition campaign poster. These were sent to some of the greatest guitar players in the US and Canada, along with a handwritten thank-you
note from SingleCut’s founder Rich Buceta.

Notes IPA sold out twice as fast as an average SingleCut release. And in addition to being the brand’s most successful social initiative, the AR lens also performed 500% above average engagement rates for Snapchat. The project was featured on Dieline and major guitar blogs. It was picked up by all the global trade press and was
an Ad Age Editor’s Pick of the Day.

Credits

Agency: Zulu Alpha Kilo
Creative Director: Zak Mroueh
Head of Design: Stephanie Yung
ACD / Art Director: Kevin Sato
ACD / Writer: Vinay Parmar
Art Director: Philippe Visaya
Writer: Victoria Lee
Designers: Zoe Kim, Kevin Sato
Account Team: Erin McManus
Strategy Team: Spencer MacEachern, Shaunagh Farrelly
Client: SingleCut Beersmiths
Clients: Rich Buceta, Dan Bronson, Danielle Palermo
Producers: Houng Ngui, Kathryn Brown, Jackie Pal, Lauren Schell
Director of Interactive Production: Ece Inan
Director of Integrated Production: Ola Stodulska
DOP/Photographer: Sean Donnelly
Studio Director: James Graham
Senior Studio Artist: Jeannette Downes
Lead Production Artist: Ashleigh O’Brien
Lead Interactive Artist: Andrew Martin
Production Artist: Mila Lukezich
Post Production Assistant: Noah Mroueh
Social Media Editor: Cecilia Bernasch
Web Development Team: Gillian Black, Ariana Emond
Editor: Felipe Chaparro, David James Findlay
Product Design: Spark Innovations Inc.
Production Company: Zulubot, Table of Content