Truly Hard Seltzer flies essential workers home on private planes

Dive Brief:

Truly Hard Seltzer, which is owned by Boston Beer Company, is giving away trips home for the holidays via private airline company Wheels Up to select essential workers, the company said in a press release.
Using the hashtag #TrulyHomeAgain on Twitter or a landing page on Truly's website, consumers can nominate essential workers to go home for the holidays. Winners will receive a domestic roundtrip flight to their chosen destination on a Wheels Up private aircraft, Truly merchandise and their favorite Truly Hard Seltzer flavors.
The goal of its campaign to reward customers and help them find holiday joy in big and small ways, Don Lane, vice president of marketing for Truly Hard Seltzer, said in a statement. The company will accept entries for the contest until Nov. 27, per the press release.

Dive Insight:

Truly Hard Seltzer's giveaway stems from the numerous stories of essential workers keeping society afloat during the COVID-19 pandemic, the company wrote in the press release. In light of that sacrifice, the beverage brand partnered with the aviation company to gift recipients time with their loved ones for the holidays.

The campaign comes as the hard seltzer category grows more competitive and sales continue to grow, with creative marketing one way brands are trying to stand out, including by leaning on purpose-driven strategies to appeal to the younger consumers that tend to prefer hard seltzer. For Molson Coors' launch of Coors Seltzer in October, the company teamed up with the Bonneville Environmental Foundation to focus on environmental sustainability efforts on 16 river basins in 14 states. Part of Molson Coors' marketing approach this year has been to continue to remain active despite challenges like the ongoing coronavirus pandemic and other issues.

For Truly Hard Seltzer, the goal of its campaign to reward customers and help them find holiday joy in big and small ways, Don Lane, vice president of marketing for Truly Hard Seltzer, said in a statement. However, given the country's struggle to contain the virus, experts are advising consumers not to travel for the holidays, which could impact the reception to the brand campaign.

As the coronavirus crisis continues, other beverage brands, including Pepsi and Budweiser, have released campaigns in support of essential workers. But as brands express their support for essential workers, consumers have taken notice of how companies treat their employees, a factor that could make or break customer support of these efforts.