Molson Coors’ big new bet for its flavor portfolio, the spiked refresher, is here. Happy Thursday™, the non-carbonated, bubble-free flavored alcohol beverage, officially launches today with a major media push.
Liz Cramton, marketing director of Happy Thursday, says the brand was designed from the ground up to appeal to legal-drinking age Gen Z drinkers.
“We realized that if we wanted a find the future of flavor, we needed a brand inspired by the same people we want to buy it,” says Cramton. “That’s why it’s bubble-free, because this demographic has made it clear they don’t always want carbonation. We also know that they love non-alc refreshers. When you pair those together with bright fruit flavors and a sessionable ABV, you get Happy Thursday.”
Happy Thursday is now available across the U.S. in four flavors: strawberry, pineapple starfruit, black cherry and mango passionfruit. At 4.4% alcohol by volume, the spiked refreshers are sold in 12-pack variety packs of 12-ounce cans. Strawberry is also available in single 16-ounce cans, while both strawberry and pineapple starfruit can be found in single 24-ounce cans.
To drive awareness of the new brand, Cramton says Molson Coors is thinking differently with its launch plans.
“What’s worked in the past doesn’t necessarily work for this younger generation of legal-age drinkers,” says Cramton. “Instead, we built our media plan around them.”
That means a digital-forward plan, with particular focus on short 15- and 6-second ads on digital media.
Cramton says that the brand’s packaging is also designed for maximum impact: “It’s like a billboard on the shelf, bright and vibrant. You can’t miss it.”
Driving trial and spring vacation sweepstakes
Cramton believes that sampling is the best way for Happy Thursday to reach its target demographic, so Molson Coors has created one of the largest sampling plans for a beverage in its flavor portfolio.
“We’re getting cans in hands like never before,” says Cramton of the brand’s efforts to reach legal-age drinkers. “We’ll have 30 brand ambassadors in 15 near-campus markets and we plan to have a big presence at ‘Live!’ venues across the country.”
Happy Thursday plans to continue the spring vacation theme with a sweepstakes, giving legal drinking-age consumers the chance to win a spring trip in 2025. The winner and one guest 21+ can choose between a Colorado ski trip, a beach vacation in Miami or a Caribbean cruise.
“Happy Thursday takes those serious weekday moments and delivers that refreshing weekend flavor, no matter what the calendar says,” says Cramton.