Bring the Aloha | Kona Big Wave Brand Campaign

The brief: Take Kona Big Wave from a craft beer to an Anheuser-Busch “premium lifestyle” brand, without losing its soul. Born in Hawaii, aloha was at the heart of the brand’s purpose. Aloha meaning shared breath, a bond that connects us to each other and to the natural world. “Liquid Aloha” is also etched onto the bottle, leading to the intended double meaning of Bring the aloha: bring your whole, open, human self to the party. And also, bring some beer.

As the lead agency and owners of the big idea, we managed video, OOH, and paid social. We also led Kona’s internal and external marketing team to execute the new brand platform through every discipline, from in-store to experiential and organic social.

Role: Creative Director, Writer

Film

In the spots, aloha manifests as magic moments of human connection — through karaoke, on a local’s-only beach, or the first time a young man meets his girlfriend’s ohana. With reverse chronology we reveal what made them all possible: bringing the aloha, both the ice-cold Kona Big Waves and the impeccable vibes. We were stoked to include local Hawaii heroes like Luke Shepardson, Bumpy Kanahele, and Taimane Gardener in the cast.

Photography

RJ Shaughnessy shot a bajillion beautiful stills of these delightful locals hanging out and becoming best friends. Don’t they look fun? Don’t you want to be there with them enjoying an ice cold beer?

Credits

Creative director, writer: Jessea Hankins

Associate creative director, art director: Jessica Wyatt

CCO, designer: Michael Lemme

ECD, writer: Parker Channon

Design director: Shannon Burns

Broadcast producer: Keenan Hemje

Photography producers: Shaz Kuerschner, Jess Shay

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