Kona Brewing teams with Bleacher Report for March Madness push

Dive Brief:

Hawaiian beer brand Kona Brewing Co. debuted an integrated campaign that spans digital and broadcast media for March Madness, starring its "Bruddah" characters, according to a news release shared with Marketing Dive.
The campaign includes a presence on digital sports brand Bleacher Report with a homepage takeover, dedicated skin, banners and video content. The spots will also air during live in-game streaming on the NCAA's March Madness Live website.
Kona also debuted three 30-second TV commercials, "Little Vacation," "To-Don't List" and "Kona Mode," which will run on national and local TV during the college basketball tournament.

Dive Insight:

Beer brands are stepping up their marketing recently as the space grows increasingly competitive and overall beer sales slide. Kona bringing back its humorous "Bruddahs" characters for its first-ever national campaign around March Madness signals that the brand is hoping to grow its presence by associating itself with the annual basketball tournament that snags millions of viewers across the country.

Since introducing the Bruddahs in 2014, Kona says it's grown by 125,000 barrels and increased 8% by volume last year. Its new TV spots scored above average for beer ads in an Ace Metrix analysis, according to the release. Plus, the campaign's reach will likely extend beyond the TV efforts with several digital elements during one of the most popular sporting events of the year.

Sports streaming is growing in popularity, and with many March Madness games airing during weekdays, workers last year spent an average of six hours focusing on the games while at work, typically on mobile and digital platforms. Among livestream sports viewers, 64% have engaged with ads, such as pre-roll video or sponsored ads, according to the Interactive Advertising Bureau.

Creative centered on reconnecting with what matters most in life is a popular theme for this year's March Madness marketing. Kona embraced this with the Bruddahs poking fun at people being always connected and sharing island-related solutions to bring more "aloha" to their lives. Restaurant chain Buffalo Wild Wings recently took a similar approach with "That's March Madness," which urges fans to avoid watching games in subpar conditions, like at home, and instead visit one of its restaurants to enjoy the games with family and friends.

The Kona campaign comes as the beer wars significantly heat up. Last week, MillerCoors filed a lawsuit against Anheuser-Busch InBev alleging that its rivals brand Bud Light's Super Bowl commercial included false and misleading claims about MillerCoors' use of corn syrup. Miller Lite also launched a series of "competitive" March Madness-themed ads offering a director's cut take on Bud Light's Super Bowl commercial.