“This was a clever way to get the word out about beer and display the pride Canadians have in their country. I love that this was entered in the interactive competition.” —Sean Klassen
“What is not to love about this sweet little idea that promotes international friendship? Beers for everyone, unlocked by a true Canadian. On-brand for the beer and for Canada.” —Kris Kiger
Overview: They say you’re most proud of home when you’re somewhere else, and Molson Canadian brewery set out to prove it in the days leading up to Canada Day, the country’s national holiday. With a campaign centered around a custom-built beer fridge, the brewery provided traveling Canadians with a taste of home and the joyful experience of sharing Molson Canadian with the world. The fridge was designed and developed over nine months, then filled with bottles of Molson Canadian beer and sent on a ten-day journey to travel destinations across northern Europe. But the fridge was locked, and the only way to open it was with an actual Canadian passport. Crowds would gather and when a passport-carrying Canadian finally showed up, it was cause for celebration!
• The fridge used image-recognition technology and a modified webcam to identify key features unique to a Canadian passport. Once a Canadian passport was recognized, the computer released an electromagnet that popped open the door.
• Wireless technology allowed the fridge to run for twelve hours without having to connect to an outlet.
• In just four days, The Beer Fridge received over one million views on YouTube and four million impressions on Twitter.
Comments by Aaron Starkman:
Was the topic/subject of the project a new one for you? “Campaigns that elicit pride in Canadians aren’t new for Molson Canadian, but it was the first time that we reached beyond Canada’s borders to tell our story.”
Did you meet with any out-of-the-ordinary obstacles during development? “This project was particularly challenging because we were working with real people, a new technology and a very delicate fridge. So the whole thing was rather unpredictable. We had to be nimble and think on our feet. The biggest hurdle was finding a way to keep the fridge operational throughout the journey and keep the beer cold even in the pouring rain of northern France.”
