In this campaign, Schützengarten underscores its commitment to premium quality and craftsmanship by transforming the unique element of a sports environment—the ice from a professional hockey rink—into a limited-edition, carefully brewed beer. The brand’s proposition centers on patience and authenticity, emphasizing that true quality requires time and meticulous attention to detail, rather than rapid production. This approach positions Schützengarten as a brewery that values tradition and superior taste over speed and gimmickry, reinforcing its heritage as Switzerland’s oldest brewery.
The market strategy leverages a culturally relevant and emotionally resonant insight: hockey fans missing live games during the pandemic season. By using water sourced directly from the SC Rapperswil-Jona Lakers’ ice rink, the campaign creates a tangible connection between the team, its community, and the brewery’s product. This authenticity is further amplified through a strategic creative angle comparing Schützengarten’s methodical, weeks-long brewing process to a competitor’s rapid production, framing quality as the deciding factor. The campaign also employs a performance-driven tactic—partnering with the hockey club and involving regulatory approval and water purification details—to build credibility and trust. By targeting Swiss hockey enthusiasts and beer connoisseurs who appreciate craftsmanship and exclusivity, the campaign taps into national pride and fan loyalty. The planned live tasting event with a rival brewery creates an engaging narrative around quality versus speed, encouraging audience participation and reinforcing the brand’s dedication to excellence rather than instant gratification.
FORMAT#11 UNIQUE PERSONALITY PROPERTY — Highlights a unique feature, origin, or distinctive product identity.
This campaign is centered entirely around the remarkable origin story of the product: beer brewed using melted ice from the hockey rink of the SC Rapperswil-Jona Lakers. The creative highlights the product’s singular connection to a cherished local sports event and the painstaking process (filtered ice, government approvals, collaboration with water purification experts) that makes it a true one-of-a-kind offering. The communication leans into the unique production method and special edition status as its core creative device, rather than focusing on a narrative arc, user imagery, explicit problem-solving, or exaggerated symbolism. Quality versus speed is also contrasted with the competing Coors campaign, but the main emphasis remains on Schützengarten’s distinctiveness — that singular beer, brewed from a real hockeyfield, filtered and crafted over weeks, is its unmistakable personality property.
ADVERTISING FORMATS EXPLAINED: https://www.clapboard.com/blog/branding-and-advertising/brand-strategy/12-advertising-creative-formats
1. Feldschlösschen – Positioned as Switzerland’s largest brewery, Feldschlösschen emphasizes broad accessibility and tradition. It balances classic Swiss brewing heritage with innovation, targeting mass-market consumers with a wide portfolio of beers that range from premium lagers to seasonal specialties, maintaining a strong presence in on-premise and retail channels.
2. Cardinal – Cardinal leverages its legacy since the 18th century by positioning itself as a heritage brand focused on authentic Swiss brewing craftsmanship. It caters to consumers seeking reliable quality and traditional beer styles, often emphasizing natural ingredients and regional pride within the Swiss market.
3. Ottakringer – Although Austrian, Ottakringer maintains a strong presence in Switzerland’s premium and craft beer segment. Its market positioning highlights bold flavors and urban identity, appealing to younger, adventurous drinkers looking for authentic, locally inspired brewing combined with contemporary branding.
4. Calanda – Calanda focuses on regional strength in eastern Switzerland, promoting its alpine water source and commitment to purity. The brand differentiates by integrating natural heritage and environmental stewardship, appealing to consumers valuing transparency, sustainability, and high-quality ingredients in their beer choices.
5. Haldengut – Positioned as a traditional Swiss brewery with a modern twist, Haldengut blends historic roots with a renewed focus on fresh, accessible lagers and specialty brews. It aims to attract both loyal local customers and new drinkers who appreciate straightforward, consistently crafted beers.
Q: What is Drinkable Hockeyfield about?
A: Drinkable Hockeyfield is a 2021 campaign from Switzerland’s oldest brewery, Schützengarten, created in partnership with the SC Rapperswil-Jona Lakers and global agency Wunderman Thompson Switzerland. The campaign centers on a limited-edition red ale brewed using melted ice from the Lakers’ professional hockey rink, with only 500 liters produced. Developed in response to fans being unable to attend games during the pandemic, the campaign transforms a unique element of the team’s journey into a tangible product, blending sports culture with premium Swiss brewing craftsmanship and engaging both hockey enthusiasts and beer connoisseurs.
Q: What creative device does Drinkable Hockeyfield use?
A: Drinkable Hockeyfield employs the UNIQUE PERSONALITY PROPERTY creative device, as classified by Clapboard’s 12-format taxonomy (Format #11). This approach highlights the beer’s singular origin—brewed from the actual ice of the SC Rapperswil-Jona Lakers’ hockey rink—and foregrounds the painstaking process of filtration, regulatory approval, and expert collaboration. Rather than relying on narrative storytelling or user imagery, the campaign’s creative focus is the beer’s distinctive provenance and limited-edition status, positioning it as a one-of-a-kind product with an unmistakable identity rooted in local sports and meticulous craftsmanship.
Q: What is the campaign proposition for Drinkable Hockeyfield?
A: The campaign proposition for Drinkable Hockeyfield is Schützengarten’s assertion that true quality in brewing comes from patience, authenticity, and attention to detail, not rapid production. By transforming the ice from the SC Rapperswil-Jona Lakers’ rink into a carefully crafted beer, the brand offers hockey fans a meaningful connection to their team during a season when stadium attendance was impossible. This strategy targets Swiss hockey supporters and discerning beer drinkers, reinforcing Schützengarten’s heritage and commitment to excellence while contrasting its methodical process with competitors’ speed-driven approaches in the alcoholic drinks market.
Q: How does Drinkable Hockeyfield rank in Clapboard's archive?
A: Drinkable Hockeyfield holds a Clapboard Campaign Score of 63/100 in Clapboard’s global ad archive. This score reflects the campaign’s creative ambition, the quality of its execution, and its cultural relevance within the context of sports marketing and the alcoholic drinks industry.
Q: Who are the competitors in Schützengarten's category?
A: In the Swiss beer market, Schützengarten competes with Feldschlösschen, which leads with broad accessibility and a balance of tradition and innovation; Cardinal, which emphasizes authentic Swiss brewing heritage and regional pride; Ottakringer, an Austrian brand with a strong local presence focused on bold flavors and urban appeal; Calanda, which differentiates through its alpine water source and commitment to purity and sustainability; and Haldengut, which blends historic roots with a modern approach to accessible lagers and specialty brews, attracting both loyal and new consumers.
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