Baron’s owner, Asia Pacific Breweries Singapore, denied that the brand had been idling, rather that there had been a focus on below-the-line brand activity since 2005.
The new push aims to reinforce Baron’s positioning as a strong beer for the masses. “We want to reinforce the product benefit and connect with our target audience of young adults aged 20 to 29 years. In addition, we also aim to increase the awareness of the brand,” explained Gary Yang, a Asia Pacific Breweries Singapore spokesperson.
The campaign was created by BBDO Singapore, which wrestled the account from McCann Erickson in 2004.
The campaign is driven largely by out-of-home executions. Ads — featuring the beer can behind bars and the warning sign: ‘Beware! Only for the strong’ — are placed at bus shelters and MRT stations.
BBDO has also transformed the roofs of bus shelters in popular locations into cages, with several life-sized cans of beer trapped behind bars.
A green and yellow — Baron’s corporate colours — warning panel runs across the circumference of the bus shelter.
“If you look at the advertising landscape, outdoor ads usually get people talking. We want people to be distracted from the normal screensaver outdoor ad. Singapore is a small city and it can be a challenge to use outdoor creatively,” said Parixit Bhattacharya, a BBDO copywriter.
The focus on out-of-home also owes to the fact that young adults spend most of their time outdoors these days, added Yang. Media planning was handled by MindShare Singapore.
The beer industry in Singapore is dominated by APBS, a joint venture between Fraser & Neave and Heineken.
It has a stable of five beers, of which Tiger Beer is the most powerful brand. APBS is currently undergoing a restructure, having integrated its marketing and sales divisions into a new commercial department (Media, 30 July).
