Dive Brief:

• Loyal 9 Cocktails has partnered with late-night talk show host and comedian Ziwe Fumudoh for its first national campaign, which is set to air across digital and social media platforms, per a news release. 
• The line of canned vodka and lemonade beverages is putting its lack of fizz front-and-center. During 30- and 15-second spots, Ziwe uses her well-known questioning style to ask beachgoers if they prefer real ingredients and no-fizz drinks. 
• The campaign comes as the pre-made cocktail industry continues to grow in the wake of COVID-19 as consumers look for beer alternatives. Consumers are also seeking hard seltzer alternatives, with alcoholic lemonade and iced tea offerings growing in popularity.

Dive Insight:

Loyal 9, which was acquired by Diageo last year, is banking on consumers wanting to ditch the fizz commonly found in canned alcoholic cocktails and seltzers. The national campaign features comedian Ziwe, who is known for her direct political and social commentary, in an attempt to reach younger consumers in a relatable way.

In the spots, Ziwe emphasizes that the drink is made with real vodka and lemons, comparing it to watching a real sunset versus looking at pictures of one on social media. The star also probes consumers about their take on the word “fizz” to highlight how many people actually prefer fizz-less drinks.

The vodka lemonade is currently available in four flavors: lemonade, watermelon lemonade, lemonade and iced tea and mixed berry lemonade. The campaign plays into the beverage’s lack of carbonation, which is intended to give it the feeling of a traditional lemonade versus a seltzer. While Loyal 9 contains 9% ABV — higher than that of many name-brand beers — it boasts it has a distinguishable lemonade flavor.

The brand is also using its noncarbonated nature and fresh ingredients to promote “realness.” Ziwe repeatedly emphasizes the cocktail's ingredients during the spot in an attempt to reach health-conscious consumers. The approach could resonate as once-surging demand for seltzers fizzes out.

The push comes as other brands have successfully debuted lemonade-based alcoholic drinks. Molson Coors recently launched a paid marketing campaign for Simply Spiked Lemonade, an alcoholic version of the Simply drink that hit shelves in June. The effort played off the Simply brand’s 21st anniversary, alluding to that being the legal drinking age in the U.S.