Fosters has launched ‘Love You Cans’ that aims to help mates reach out to one another using the authentic love language of British lads: rude nicknames.
It is the first piece of work by Publicis London for the Heineken beer brand.
‘Love You Cans’ invites men to break the ice with their mates by sending them a tinnie, emboldened with the words “b*llend, d**khead, kn*bhead, t*sser or w*nker”, as a gesture of authentic and light-hearted bonding.
The work draws on new research which found that as they get older, British men are increasingly losing touch with their friends, with 61 per cent of men surveyed admitting that reaching out to reconnect can feel awkward or uncomfortable.
The research also found that many men find it less awkward to express affection through light-hearted mock insults; 59 per cent of British millennial men say calling their mates a crude nickname is how they show that they care, while almost half (48 per cent) say these nicknames help them to break the ice with friends they have lost touch with.
Noël Bunting, chief creative officer, Publicis London said: “When you combine such a gift of an insight with the brand personality of Foster’s, you know you have the chance to capture men’s attention like never before and have a meaningful impact on friendships nationwide. We’re extremely proud of this campaign, and I couldn’t have asked for a better group of w**kers, b**lends and d**kheads to pull off the massive effort.”
Teased across OOH fly-posters and social from 23 February, the campaign launched nationwide on 24 February, rolling out across digital out-of-home, social and influencer activity through to 9 March.
The bold DOOH and OOH fly-posters spotlight the playful nicknames of the campaign, with tactical placements in Cardiff, London, Manchester and Newcastle. Media planning and buying was handled by Dentsu.
Social films by creators including Ryan Sullivan and Big John further encourage people to reach out to their mates by sending a ‘Love You Can’.
Consumer PR from COW supports the campaign’s focus on connection, grounded in the insight that 69 per cent of men say mates’ holidays are an important way to maintain friendships. A national competition will offer friends looking to reconnect the chance to win an epic reunion trip across Australia to the country’s many and varied towns and outposts called ‘Knob’.
System1 chief customer officer and Uncensored CMO host Jon Evans said the campaign had him in stitches.
In a LinkedIn post, Evans said: “We talk about brand’s having a purpose and getting men talking is actually a real important one… I just wasn’t expecting it to be so funny!
“Fun aside I think this is also a really good example of a strong OOH campaign. One single idea. Creates emotion with humour. Distinctive Brand Assets. Social Amplification.”
Evans will be presenting at this year’s Cairns Crocodiles festival.
In the UK, people can gift these cans of Foster’s to a friend, branded with their chosen nickname, by visiting www.loveyoucans.com.
