White Claw – From Ripple to Wave
We helped create a category-defining brand that tapped emerging cultural shifts to become one of the most influential alcohol launches of the past decade.
Method Toolbox
- Cultural Immersion, Innovation, Semiotics, STRATEGY, Trend Analysis
Framing the Problem
We helped reframe a critical category challenge in the US, where a new generation of drinkers was rejecting sugar-flavoured malt beverages – the category on which our client’s business had been built.
Our Approach
By immersing ourselves in the emerging culture of better-for-you and better-made alcohol mixed drinks, we led the development of White Claw Hard Seltzer – writing the brief, shaping the positioning and brand platform, and navigating an extensive naming and testing process.
The Breakthrough
The result was the launch of a category-defining brand that became a cultural phenomenon and reshaped the global alcohol landscape. White Claw helped create a new hard seltzer category, sparking viral success, new cultural language and widespread media attention.
