The Mexican import brand Sol relaunches today with an updated look and new positioning that aims to cast the brand with a more vibrant, optimistic and brighter light.
In a new round of television ads filmed in Mexico City, redesigned bottles and cans of Sol wind their way through a montage of street dancers backed by an energetic soundtrack.
Developed in partnership with the creative agency Alma DDB, the new spots reintroduce drinkers to Sol, a “brilliant Mexican lager” first brewed in 1899. They finish with the phrase: “Made to shine, just like you. Shine your way.”
The brand will be featured during 26 FIFA World Cup games, including a prominent spot in the Mexican national soccer team’s first game against defending champion Germany.
Targeted at 21- to 29-year-old Mexican-American drinkers, the campaign strikes a different chord than other Mexican imports with a message rooted in authenticity and optimism, said Ashley Selman, MillerCoors vice president of brand marketing, in a meeting with distributors last week in Austin, Texas.
“This is a group who identifies as 100 percent American and 100 percent Mexican. They love Mexico, but their opportunity is here in the U.S., and they love it here, too,” Selman said. “They are carving out a new place as the new face of America. The whole goal of this work is to shine a light on them.”
More than 100 people were included in the spots, none of whom were paid actors. Instead, Sol used street dancers, rappers, musicians and artists. “Everything in these ads feels urban and real, and that’s because we shot real people,” Selman said. “This is not the picture of a perfect beach or a perfect club in Manhattan. This is different. It’s real and authentic.”
In addition to the television spots, Sol’s new creative campaign will feature new social media and digital work focused on where these younger legal-age drinkers increasingly live: on their phones. The work also focuses on themes that appeal to a broad cross-section of beer drinkers.
MillerCoors assumed control of U.S. sales and marketing for the brand last fall under a 10-year agreement with Heineken. It will support the brand nationally, with an enhanced focus on five key markets with large Mexican populations: Southern California, Arizona, Texas, Illinois and Las Vegas.
“We’re confident in Sol’s ability to expand and accelerate the Mexican imports category,” Selman said. “We’ve taken great care to refresh and restore the beauty of this special brand, inviting drinkers to shine their way.”