Sonny’s Promotional Beverage Program
Sonny’s BBQ was ready to soft launch hard liquor.
Art Direction by Jen Neuman and Rachel Clements
Sonny’s needed a campaign to announce their beverage program, in other words, a bar. It got… sticky. We pitched and built a variety of collateral and campaign directions. It’s not just the words I want you to look at here. It’s the insights and the creative strategy. I love work like this. There are so many human truths with a brand like this, it was incredibly fun to tap into. And sample. And taste test.
Anyways… here’s the work.
This one, we call Sticky Fingers. To tell a whole story with just one image was the kind of storytelling power this campaign needed.
We didn’t need to show the food or the pairings to sell the product. The human truth of BBQ being messy AF rings true no matter who you are.
Sticky fingers unite. Every person will have a different experience with the brand, and this visual approach captures that.
The reader starts to build the story in their head when they see the image, making them start to think about what their own story with the brand will be.
The fingerprint poster is inspired by the brand’s dedication to the science behind BBQ. A vintage-sciencey botanical poster comes to life through sticky fingerprints, with each figure # representing a different store zip code. This kind of little touch shows the client that we don’t just work on the account, we learn all we can about them. It’s a meaningful easter egg that will mean a lot to anyone from the Sonny’s CMO to South Gainesville’s biggest BBQ fan.
Sonny’s signature is incredible, comforting food in served in casual family dining style. Nothing says relaxed family barbeque like a styrofoam cup. And nothing says Sonny’s like that signature iced tea cup we all know and love. What does that look like as a cocktail glass? We asked the same question. Clink! or more like: squeaky smoosh styrofoam clink.
Out-of-the-box? Try out-of-the-restaurant.
Yes, that’s a regular ole’ Sonny’s. But imagine it like this. Every single Sonny’s has this same building exterior. And you know what we thought? That black roof thing looks a hell of a lot like a bartop.
This guerilla approach would garner some earned media and roadside attention. Imagine projections of signature Sonny’s cocktails on top of the “bar” and stools tucked just underneath. Now that’s a giant bar I’d like to go to.
