INSIGHTS

The Right Fit

With the popular Corona Light already firmly established in the marketplace, it was imperative that Premier’s strategy, brand name and design make clear its compelling difference for consumers. Trinity began by evaluating a broad range of portfolio strategies and analyzing existing Corona brand equities to understand which assets should carry forward to the new brand and to identify areas where new assets were required. We would need to leverage the strength of the Corona masterbrand while expanding its meaning—without creating consumer confusion or cannibalizing Corona Extra or Corona Light.

Corona Premier would be line priced with Corona Extra, but its target audience would be different from Corona’s base—aimed squarely at men 35-55 who seek products that fit their active lifestyle and support their desire to make healthier choices. The design had to appeal to men, have a premium, elevated expression and maintain its authentic Mexican roots.

STRATEGY

A Mexican Take On Low Carb Light Beer

To carve out a new space for Corona Premier we looked at category leaders here in the US and around the world. In the US, light and low-carb beers face an uphill battle, with consumer perception of low carb beers as watered-down and low-quality. We looked to analogous “better for you” food and beverage to identify how more-mature categories were effectively delivering similar low calorie, healthy messaging. We found that communications had evolved–it is no longer about “less,” it is about more. It’s what you gain by making a better choice, not what you give up. There is a sense that consumers can have it all–a product that fits their lifestyle without sacrificing flavor or taste. We took a page from the evolution of health food to develop a brand idea built from Corona’s masterbrand promise of Saber Vivir—a “carefree state of mind.” With Corona Premier, Saber Vivir isn’t a beach or a wild night out, it is the feeling you get from living a life that is uncomplicated and on your terms – where less really is more.

We knew from our work on other light beer brands, that men don’t want to feel like they are on a diet when drinking beer with their buddies. So we came up with the name “Premier” to fit with the respected Corona brand and reflect the premium nature of the product. As a word easy to understand and say in both Spanish and English, it tested well with both the brand’s key audiences—unacculturated and bi-cultural Hispanic consumers.

CREATIVE

A Delicate Balance

Trinity’s creative solution strongly leveraged the iconic Corona wordmark and visual equities, including the crown, griffins and the yellow, silver and blue color palette. We shifted the balance of those equities to create a look wholly unique to Premier. With yellow the lead color for Light and blue for Extra, silver became the dominant, distinctive color for Premier. The result is a strong family look for the 3 brands on shelf. The lockup between Corona and Premier gives the Premier sub-brand a powerful presence and elevated impression. The finished packaging carves out a space all its own, has a feel that is light and refreshing and signals to consumers this is a premium product worth considering.