Socially-led creative agency We Are Social has partnered with Lion to launch the ‘Voodoo Ranger Freedom Initiative’, a social-first campaign designed to challenge life’s everyday ‘can’ts’ and bring a little more fun to Aussies.
It’s the latest campaign from Voodoo Ranger, the 6 per cent vodka RTD available in Hard Cola and Hard Lemonade, which launched in Australia earlier this year.
In a category as crowded as RTDs, the brand needed to cut through by showing up in conversations Australians were already having rather than talking about itself.
Social listening uncovered a cultural tension among Australian men in their 20s and early 30s who shared a growing frustration with life’s everyday rules and ‘can’ts’, leaving less and less room for fun.
For a brand with a reputation of poking fun at convention, it was an easy cause to get behind. So Voodoo Ranger set up its own Freedom Initiative, a tongue-in-cheek official body with one job: championing a little more fun.
Its first official act is giving Australians the chance to win one of hundreds of free 12-month VPN subscriptions, the first of more acts to come.
The idea comes to life in a hero film and creator content running across social and digital, with The Betoota Advocate breaking the story in its signature satirical voice.
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Ben Clare, executive creative director at We Are Social, said: “Social rewards brands that join the conversation, not interrupt it. Aussies were already having a whinge about life’s ‘can’ts’, and Voodoo Ranger has never taken itself too seriously. So instead of an ad, we gave it a cause, and something useful that people could actually win.”
Andrew Tilley, senior brand manager at Voodoo Ranger, added: “Australia’s RTD category is incredibly competitive, so standing out comes down to giving people a reason to choose you. Voodoo Ranger has a bold, playful personality and this campaign brings that modern larrikin spirit to life with a distinctly Australian sense of humour, giving us a platform to build on as the brand grows here.”
Credits:
Creative agency: We Are Social
Executive Creative Director: Ben Clare
Associate Creative Director: Tom Bradbeer
Copywriter: Patrick Timms
Chief Strategy Officer: Richard Parker
Client Service Director: Hilary Jacobs
Account Manager: Jade Neill
Producer: Thea Wheatley
Designer: Cynthia Vu
Video Editor: Ivan Lentell
Production Assistant: Lily Seselja
Brand: Voodoo Ranger
Creative Strategy Head: Tom Donald
Digital Strategist: David Scheepers
Senior Brand Manager: Andrew Tilley
Cultural Collaborations Leader: Andie Tickner
Media Manager: Carol Kearney
