Molson Canadian

"Beer Fridge"

Molson Canadian wanted to connect with millennials and build on the success of the "Beer Fridge," which debuted in the summer of 2013. The only way to open the red fridge was with a Canadian passport. It was the centerpiece of the brand's marketing this year, including its sponsorship of the Sochi Olympics and efforts around the 2014 Canada Day celebration.

A few months before New Years, Molson and Rethink put out a call through social media to Canadians across the globe. The brand was deliberately vague about the details, only saying that it was looking for hockey-loving Canadians in remote places. With responses from every corner of the planet, the brand chose Morgan Girard, a Canuck from Ottawa living in the Gili Islands, in Indonesia.

Molson found two of Girard's friends, gave them the Beer Fridge (stocked with Olympic Victory Bottles) and sent them to Gili. Their job was to surprise Girard and give him the beer so they could watch Canada compete at Sochi together over a Molson.

The agency filmed the experience, and broadcast the video during the World Juniors Hockey. A shortened version followed, directing people online for the complete story. During the Olympic Games, a second installment featured Girard doing what Canadians do best - getting locals in on the game of hockey. This was first posted on social media and then broadcast on TV.

In Sochi, the "Beer Fridge" became an instant hit at the Canada Olympic House and a rallying point for Canada. And after a Gold medal Olympic run, the "Beer Fridge" came home for its next outing: Canada Day. This time the way to open the fridge was to correctly sing the national anthem. The agency filmed Canadians singing, humming and occasionally stumbling their way through "O Canada."

The "Beer Fridge" went viral three separate times since it launched in 2013, generating 6.5 million views and $160 million worth in PR value globally. The brand gained 0.2 share points in Q1 (equivalent to $19.4 million in revenue) in a declining category.

The Olympic story generated over 1.9 million views and $100 million in PR value globally. The fridge was recognized by Buzzfeed as one of the top 10 reasons Canada "won" the Olympics. Later in the year two million Canadians saw the Canada Day version in less than 10 days. The Beer Fridge won a bronze Lion at Cannes, the first win for Molson in more than a decade.