Brief Overview:

  • Athletic Brewing Company is rolling out a summer advertising push with its largest national marketing plan to date,according to a press release. The non-alcoholic beer maker expects to spend 120% more on national media than it did during the same period last year.
  • The campaign is centered on a 30-second spot, "Beyond Every Expectation," featuring opinion leaders including beer writer Jenn Litz-Kirk, food entrepreneur Chris Cosentino, and chef David Chang (who is also an investor in the brand), testifying to the high quality of Athletic Brewing's flagship product, Run Wild IPA.
  • Athletic Brewing hopes to capitalize on the peak summer season, including the celebration of the 250th anniversary of the United States. In addition to national advertising, the marketer is running a regional campaign in the Los Angeles area with Dodgers player Teoscar Hernández, its first MLB athlete partner.

Deep Dive:

Athletic Brewing is trying to solidify its position as the leading challenger in the increasingly competitive non-alcoholic beer category. To stand out during the crucial summer months—which this year include major events like the FIFA World Cup and the U.S. Semiquincentennial—the brand is significantly increasing its marketing investment, with the campaign spanning streaming, online video, audio, digital, and out-of-home media.

The main ad, "Beyond Every Expectation," is now in market, featuring culinary and beer opinion leaders who praise Athletic Brewing's Run Wild IPA, interspersed with cameos from Athletic Brewing employees and co-founder John Walker. Their testimonials are interwoven with footage of the IPA's ingredient sourcing, being poured from tap, and packaged in the factory. The ad closes with the tagline "Non-alcoholic beer for every moment." The underlying theme of the message is that Run Wild is not just a good non-alcoholic beer, but a good beer, period.

"From the start, Run Wild has represented what's possible when you refuse to compromise on quality, flavor, and brewing standards," said Rosalie Kennedy, senior marketing director at Athletic Brewing, in a press statement. "With 'Beyond Every Expectation,' we celebrate the brew that redefined perceptions of non-alcoholic beer, changed how we drink, and continues to surprise beer lovers with every sip."

To complement the significantly increased national media investment, Athletic Brewing is also partnering with Dodgers star Hernández on a campaign in the Los Angeles area, its first MLB athlete endorsement. The 30-second "Living Athletic" TV spot documents Hernández's daily routine and how, during the notoriously long professional baseball season, he occasionally breaks the monotony with an ice-cold can of Athletic Brewing beer.

In addition to the marketing campaign, Athletic Brewing has released a limited-edition Stars and Stripes packaging for Run Wild and launched a new radler beer called Fruited Fields, with flavors of raspberry, blueberry, and white grapefruit. Other brewers also frequently release special American-themed packaging around the Fourth of July, a key window for beer sales, and marketing activity has surged due to the U.S. Semiquincentennial.

Athletic Brewing, which once led the wave of non-alcoholic upstarts, is now competing with major brewers and other industry players who are placing greater emphasis on the category to attract the growing "sober curious" consumer base. Coors Light is launching its first non-alcoholic offering, and Constellation Brands announced plans in March to acquire Hopwtr. Meanwhile, the team behind Casamigos Tequila recently launched a non-alcoholic line called Crazy Mountain.