The brief
Upland wanted to bring its easy drinking Vienna lager into the full lineup. Because lagers are traditionally harder to brew, we wanted a name and brand that reflected the hard work of our brewers while toasting to the hard work of our drinkers.
The idea
Free Time Lager serves as a 12 ounce call to action to liberate our own time. A rally cry to take back what’s rightfully ours.
Our free time comes well deserved after a long week spent on someone else’s clock. And with this beer, Upland wants to help make sure how we spend it counts.
To launch Free Time, we created an integrated campaign that engaged drinkers across multiple touch points, including social media, email marketing, liquor store tastings, on-premise bucket deals, swag giveaways, and signage at Upland retail locations. I led naming, branding, marketing strategy, PR, and creative execution for the new beer and its launch. And not to mention a video shoot where we took turns smashing clocks in the brewery.
The results
Free Time struck a chord, particularly with domestic cross-over drinkers, right out of the gate and has become a cooler favorite. The beer gained buzz on social media, Untappd, and beer publications, including Draft Magazine and Indy Beer Sleuth.
Illustration: Courtney Kuebler
Screenprint: Zachary Davidson
Screenprint photo credit: Zachary Davidson via Instagram