In 2011 the Rugby World Cup descended on New Zealand’s far corner of the South Pacific.

Rugby is essentially the national religion, and this would be an event that would touch our nation to its very core. The deepest hopes of New Zealanders rested on the All Blacks winning the long elusive title of World Champions - not since 1987 had we lifted the World Cup.

Meanwhile, Lion Nathan had another battle on its hands. Dutch super-beer Heineken was trumping Lion’s hero beer Steinlager Classic and our share of the lucrative premium beer segment was in decline.

The Rugby World Cup would bring a surge in beer consumption, but this was Heineken’s party; the official sponsor had it all sewn up… at least officially.

The challenge: Get Steinlager Classic more than its fair share of this surge that Heineken had claimed as its own.

Heineken may have bought the rights to win their share of the World Cup beer dollar but it was Steinlager Classic’s by birthright. As an icon of the All Blacks and everything good and great about New Zealand – fondly referred to as ‘our beer’ – winning the ‘Beer World Cup’ was as important, if not more so, for the country as it was for Lion Nathan.

Easier said than done given the watertight content restrictions Heineken had put in place.

But where there’s a will there’s a way. This inspired what was to become arguably the largest guerrilla campaign in New Zealand history, with Lion forcing its way into a World Cup which it had no official right to be a part of.

The idea: Revive the belief of 1987 with a fondly remembered piece of packaging… “The White Can”

With a packaging-led idea Steinlager Classic hit a deep cultural nerve by resolving a very real crisis of faith, leading a nation to believe in their team once again. We outmanoeuvred Heineken’s heavy-handed attempts to dictate drinking Dutch beer during New Zealand’s finest moment.

By the end of the campaign, 4.3 million white cans had been sold (one for every person in New Zealand), the declining share was reversed and Lion won an additional $12 million dollars from a budget half that of Heineken’s.