Small Beer Shows That Even in a World of Extremes, Drinking Doesn't Need to Be

Dark Horses has created its first campaign for lower alcohol beer brand ‘Small Beer’ as it moves beyond the sporting arena and into lifestyle advertising. The campaign introduces the brand’s mission to deliver lower alcohol beer without compromising on big taste. The strategy is based around the thinking that we are living in a world of extremes - extreme people and extreme views, from politics to lifestyle - but Small Beer allows consumers to step back from those extremes, drink sensibly and think with a clear head.

With this latest campaign, the brand aims to highlight that Small Beer is for those that see the bigger picture. The beautifully art directed work takes well-known phrases that on the surface look positive but are in fact regressive, and turning them on their head to give them their positivity and clarity back. Just like Small Beer. So, ‘Living for the weekend’ becomes ‘Living for the week’, and ‘All work and no play’ becomes ‘All work and play’. The messaging is clear that you can enjoy work and play in harmony. The brand’s tagline is 'Think Big. Drink Small.'

The posters will go up from 25th January with digital execution to follow. The beer is available in Waitrose stores nationwide.

James Grundy, the co-founder of Small Beer, said: “The campaign is based around the cultural truth that we are living in a world of extremes. This is especially true in the alcohol category. But Small Beer is all about being able to see the balance in life, and therefore the opportunity for tomorrow. Appetite for lower alcohol options has seen a significant increase over the past year, fitting comfortably as a small luxury within daily routines. We’ve invested in this campaign as we see the demand for Small Beer continuing to rise, and felt it poignant to champion the freedom our beer offers drinkers.”

“We’re known for our sports work, but at Dark Horses we work more holistically across sport, fitness and wellbeing, and Small Beer was a great opportunity for us to partner with a brand that fits into many of our team's sporting lifestyles." added Steve Howell, creative partner at Dark Horses. "With its great taste and lower alcohol, it's a beer you can enjoy whether you’re a fitness fanatic or just don’t fancy a hangover. Our idea was to focus on those famous preconceived ‘wisdoms’ that are in fact a little narrow-minded and then to flip them on their heads to show some bigger picture thinking.”

Small Beer has a range of four styles with alcohol percentages varying from 1% - 2.7%, offering consumers great tasting beer without the high volume of alcohol. The South London-born brand continues to challenge the lost tradition for people who do it all, targeting those who value a balanced lifestyle.