Labatt USA

As a long-established brewer of the finest Canadian pilsners in all of North America, Labatt USA is a regional brand with a devoted fan base that’s loyal to their flagship products, Blue and Blue Light. But as the beer market overall has faced declining revenue, Labatt (like all brewers great and small) has had to pivot and embrace product innovation to maintain their bottom line.

After having released their line of hard seltzers in 2019, the company continued along that path in 2021 by releasing QB1, a “Bomb Pop”-flavored seltzer that honors Labatt’s connection to the Buffalo Bills and more specifically their premier athlete partner, Buffalo Bills QB Josh Allen (aka QB1).

The Mr. Smith team was tasked with supporting the launch of this product across media platforms including social activation and traditional media placements (i.e. television, OOH, and more).

Without being able to explicitly reference the celebrity appeal of Josh Allen himself for legal reasons, our team leaned heavily into a broader value proposition approach by creating teasers and content that hinted visually at the bold new flavor while subtly connecting the product to the Buffalo Bills and their quarterback with a #PassItOn campaign that encouraged consumers to toss a QB1 to their friends and family.