With the onset of COVID19, our consumers could not buy alcohol for a sum total of 14 weeks (due to the lock-down related alcohol ban in the country) and as a result, they were looking forward to summer as the ultimate time to hit refresh on a tough year. After the extremely “dry” year, and the ever-looming threat of being locked down again, we needed to make sure we were the brand of choice for South Africa in the Summer 2020. Our aim was to help refresh our consumers and ensure we positioned ourselves as the only beer that could "save summer" and lift their spirits. This was vital due to our recent decline in brand relevance and emotional resonance with consumers.

We introduced South Africa to Hotazel. A tiny mining town in the Northern Cape, that not many people know exists, it is unremarkable in every way except for two things: it’s unusual name and the extreme heat that residents of the town experience. Castle Lite, a beer synonymous with extra cold refreshment, knew that if it could refresh Hotazel, it could refresh anyone. Anywhere. Even in the middle of a pandemic. So, each time Hotazel reached 35°C, we unlocked extra cold refreshment for more than just its residents, but everyone else in the country too. Soon, all eyes were on the temperature in Hotazel, putting it and our beer, back on everyone’s radar.

Target audience: "Experience Maximisers" are made up predominantly of 24-35 y/o males who likes to socialise and live in the moment. Summer is our consumers favourite time of the year and the National ethos changes from stress and heaviness from socio-economic factors to joyful escapism.

Approach: Summer time is when the best memories, fun times and stories are lived. By the time the summer of 2020 arrived consumers were tired from being locked down all year and they found themselves in need of summer refreshment more than ever. In Africa, summer brings with it sweltering heat and it is one topic most South Africans talk about in summer. So we decided to tap into this insight to introduce Castle Lite a the refreshing, inclusive beer that "saved summer" and lifted the spirits, keeping the brand top of mind and delivering the benefit in a meaningful way.

TIMELINE: Due to lock-down (and the alcohol ban) being re-instated the campaign only ran for 42 days.

We started with a series of videos that shows South Africans what “hot” really looked like and made it clear that there was only one solution.

Our fictional character, the Mayor of Hotazel, soon became a spokesperson for saving summer. He took over our social media platforms, dropping into heated conversations using the hottest hashtags. He even DM’ed those complaining about the heat. These messages directed people to a microsite, where they could register to be notified when Hotazel hit 35°C. And each time it did, everyone who signed up could be rewarded with extra cold refreshment.

Before we knew it, people stopped complaining about the heat. They actually wanted it to get hotter. As for Hotazel – the little town became on of the hottest topics in 2020 with more Google searches than ever before. And our mayor became the most liked politician yet. Even stepping in when lockdown was reinstated, to keep people safe.

While we refreshed our consumers with our beer, our unique play on Hotazel and our engaging Mayor meant that our content was refreshing too. The much needed fun and enjoyment our consumers were looking for after a tough year.

Due to lock-down (and the alcohol ban) being re-instated the campaign only ran for 42 days. In just 42 days we were able to achieve:

100 724 Site registrations

+10000 Vouchers delivered

+32000 people DM’ed the mayor daily

91% more mentions than our biggest competitor (Heineken)

And we re-claimed the #1 in brand power in the premium beer category (for the first time in 2 years)

The Hotazel campaign played a pivotal role in putting Castle Lite back in the hearts and minds of our consumers after a heavy, protracted lockdown period.