Tuesday, March 04, 2008
Mexican Import Bellies Up to the Web to Introduce “Activitdades de Pacificos”
byWhile most companies these days have learned to take advantage of marketing opportunities on the World Wide Web, there aren’t many that are bold enough to leave traditional TV spots behind entirely to pursue a relatively low-budget magazine, billboard, and web campaign. Meet Pacifico, a Mexican import beer that has done just that.
A recent New York Times article highlighted the small beer company’s marketing tactics. Based in the Western United States, Pacifico has been looking to branch out for a while now. The company has a small market share (less than 1% of domestic giant Bud Light), but is growing rapidly. Sales volume has increased at a compound annual rate of 14.8%, and the brand is continuing to gain popularity across the nation.
The company recently launched a web campaign designed by Seattle based agency Creature. Pacifico’s website features 30 video clips of people living a Pacifico lifestyle full of sun, sand, and surf and participating in other “Actividades de Pacifico.” The clips, which run from 15 seconds to 3 minutes long, were filmed in Mexico on a lower-quality camera in order to add authenticity.
According to the Times article, “the idea of this brand is core to the strategy of making films and bringing them onto the Internet,” said Jim Haven, co-founder and creative director at Creature, because “this is a brand about adventure, about discovery, a brand that people find and become the advocates for.”
The campaign also features ads on other websites such as National Geographic to drive traffic to the Pacifico site. And don’t worry too much about the company missing out on valuable TV advertising opportunities—some of the footage from the Mexico shoot was cut into a couple 30-second TV spots, just in case.
