Issue: Steinlager is renowned for its association with the All Blacks, but this year, they found themselves on the outer as Heineken was named the official sponsor for Rugby World Cup 2011, leaving Steinlager forbidden from associating themselves with the thing they were most known for. To connect with supporters, legally, Steinlager had to remind them they had been there for the All Blacks from the beginning.
Idea: Lion and DDB NZ decided to bring back the original Steinlager white can - the one that had been there 24 years ago when New Zealand won the Rugby World Cup the first time. Mango used social media to tap into the story of nostalgia and belief that DDB had created, encouraging Steinlager and All Blacks supporters to show their belief in the All Blacks by buying Steinlager beer in the white cans; and saving one for the win. They were encouraged to upload a picture of their white can to the Steinlager mantelpiece on Facebook, incentivised by prizes and the promise of an All Black visiting one lucky person to make sure their white can was in its spot.
Impact: Within one month we hit the target of 10,000 Facebook fans. The Steinlager Facebook page hit 21,000 Likes double our total target. Steinlager went to No1 canned beer in the country with 2.5 million cases sold. When prompted, more people recalled Steinlager as being the official sponsor of the RWC, polling hire than all actual official sponsors.
