Beer brand gives Olympic parents sponsorship deals

Parents. Bless them.

I hardly think about it now, but the fact that my mum stood on the sidelines each weekend, watching little me play hockey on Wellington winter mornings, is just... incredible. Because, if you didn't know, Wellington is the windiest city in the world. And the wind usually comes from the polar South. So, thank you, mum.

But that's it. Parents do things for their children and are rarely given the thanks they deserve. Not publicly, at least.

But Molson is giving credit where it's due in their Olympic campaign.

The beer company and official sponsor of Team Canada are celebrating the hours of work that go into raising and supporting an athlete.

How are they doing this, you ask?

Well, they're sponsoring the parents of athletes, too. And it's made for a super effective advertising strategy.

Basically, nine parents are being treated like big-time athletes.

So, everything an athlete would expect from an endorsement deal, these sweet, supportive parents are getting, too. Commercial appearances, starring in campaign imagery, paid contract signings, and social media coverage. And heaps of free beer.

Actually, Molson explains it best in their campaign copy, a phrase pasted over images of the parents sitting in the stands, drinking beer. 'They gave their kids everything. We gave them an endorsement deal.'

But it's not all serious, soppy stuff.

There's humour in the campaign, too.

Take the commercial, for instance. The ad starts out super serious, with real Olympic vibes. Bleachers, shadowy figures, and dark silhouettes against a glimpse of light. All this with a voiceover telling us about the sacrifice and giving everything for a shot at greatness.

It's so convincing. When I first saw it, I experienced genuine surprise at the tone shift when they revealed that all the figures weren't athletes like I expected. They're parents.

And it's not parents in their usual sideline mode, watching absorbed. It's parents walking and swigging from cans of beer. A genuine comedic moment!

That's what Molson does well with this campaign. They walk the line between sentiment and humour.

It's not too soppy, not too 'let's poke fun at parents'. They've hit a sweet spot.

There's also playfulness in how they're a beer company, sponsoring parents. The very people who spent our teenagerhood trying to keep us away from alcohol are promoting the stuff.

It's a fun twist.

So, what can we marketers learn from this campaign?

Well, we can understand that taking a slightly different angle works. You don't need to reinvent the wheel, but find a point of difference and use it. Think about your product, or what your campaign is on the surface, and dig a little deeper to find a slant that works. A slant you can have fun with.

It also reminds us that comedy and real emotion are a dynamite combo. In fact, a Kantar study revealed that humour is 'the most powerful creative enhancer of receptivity.'

So, spend some time work-shopping content that's genuinely funny, and evokes real emotion. You may think about hiring a comedian or comedy content creator for this, because they'll know what works and what the current tone is.  

So, be brave and tap into the power of comedy in your next campaign. 

-Maggie, Copywriter