When alcohol brands try to broaden their reach beyond their core crowd, the results can often be awkward or even laughable. The best ads are those that acknowledge the brand's base but create a story compelling enough to draw in new audiences.
That's the difficult balance Jägermeister achieves with its new U.K. spot, "Journey to Surf," from London agency The Red Brick Road.
While Jägermeister has a storied legacy dating back to 1935, it's primarily known these days as a shot of choice for "bros." And indeed, this ad brings us the story of a tight-knit group of guy friends heading off for some manly adventures.
But this is no 1990s Mountain Dew commercial about parasailing or base jumping. It's an artfully shot exploration of the icy wilderness, putting perseverance and determination above high fives and chest bumps.
After their epic excursion, the young men find an isolated watering hole and celebrate with shots of Jäger. Even this product payoff is handled well, keeping the focus on camaraderie rather than fetishizing the drink as the driving force behind good times or some equivalent nonsense.
Could this mark a new era for a drink that, while popular, has long seemed unapproachable to those unfamiliar (or perhaps too familiar) with the term Jägerbomb? This is a step in the right direction.
CREDITS
Client: Jägermeister
Spot: "Journey to Surf"
Creative Agency: The Red Brick Road, London
Creative Director: Richard Megson / Matt Davis
Film Production: Academy Films
Director: Seb Edwards
Editor: Sam Rice Edwards, The Assembly Rooms
Post Production: Scott Griffin, Ludo Fealy at Nineteen Twenty Post
Sound Design: Jim Griffin, James Cobbold, Chris Turner at Jungle
Media Agency: AMS Media Group