Corona Shifts the Frame

Shift alert:  This is a full back-page Corona beer ad from yesterday’s Globe & Mail newspaper. The image shows the same deck chairs we’ve seen a million times, the same blissed-out vacationing couple, the same bright sunshine, but with a key difference. Instead of a beach in Cancun, they are clearly in cottage country–the lake district a few hours north of Toronto. Click the thumbnail above to see the full image.

The copy: “Relax responsibly.”

This is huge. Corona built its brand, at least in this country, on the dream of the cold-season tropical getaway, the prospect of blazing beachfront bliss for frostbitten Canucks. It would seem that the company now recognizes that these equatorial escapes aren’t as socially kosher in the target market as they used to be. By turning the old “Drink Responsibly” liability dodge on its head, the company links frivolous air travel — its marketing stock and trade — with frivolous carbon release. Bravo, and kudos. 

Of course, there’s an elephant in this room; the beer is still made in Mexico. The most “responsible” way to relax would be to instead choose a locally brewed refreshment. But we’ll let Corona bask in this moment. I know this stuff is market-tested up the yin-yang, but this ad shows leadership on the climate file. They done good here.