beverages

Fat Tire 'Pairs Well With People'

Fat-TireNew Belgium Brewing, the nation’s third-largest craft brewer, is launching a campaign including the company’s second-ever TV effort, and the first in eight years.

The Fort Collins, Colo., company sums up its brand values in its new tagline, “Pairs well with people.” The line refers both to the employee-owned, environmentally proactive brewer and, in accompanying online videos, to its flagship brew, Fat Tire Ale.

The campaign is the first television by Cultivator Advertising & Design for this client, and will run through Labor Day.

The 30-second spot aims was filmed on site and the entire cast are New Belgium employees. The V.O. (director Stacy Peralta) tells how, “back in 1991... they said Fat Tire was a weird name for a beer. And being 100%employee-owned and environmentally conscious would never work. The world is full of people who like to say, ‘You can’t do that,’ and for all of them out there we have one thing to say,”at which point over a hundred employees hoist a bottle and ask, “Want a beer?”

In four accompanying online 15-second spots, the theme switches from the brewer to how its beer “pairs well with people.” Bar patrons (again, New Belgium employees) demonstrate “how to: make yourself more attractive; friend someone, unfriend them; make up; expand your social network.” Surprisingly (or not) a bottle or glass of Fat Tire is all it takes.

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The TV will run in 12 DMAs coast to coast, on all major networks, during primetime and late night, mainly live sports, comedy and original programming. The online videos will appear on Hulu, YouTube, Facebook and via paid search. The media agency is Vizeum, New York.

New Belgium Brewing Co. is 100% employee-owned; wind-powered; and recycles, reuses or composts 99% of its waste stream. Besides Fat Tire, New Belgium brews eight year round beers; Ranger IPA, Shift Pale Lager, Rampant Imperial IPA, Sunshine Wheat, 1554 Black Ale, Blue Paddle Pilsener, Abbey Belgian Ale and Trippel. The company is in the process of adding a second brewery, in North Carolina, to its sole existing brewery.

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