Groove Jones Wins Best in Category Award of Excellence in the 27th Annual Communicator Awards

The work we did for Constellation Brands has been recognized by the Academy of Interactive & Visual Arts with the best in the category – Award of Excellence in the 27th annual Communicator Awards.

2021 COMMUNICATOR AWARDS EXCELLENCE
Client: Constellation Brands
Production: Corona and Texas Longhorns “Horns Up Limes In” (HULI) Custom Sneaker
Category: Campaign-Promotional for Integrated Campaign
Case Study: https://www.groovejones.com/corona-webar-campaign-for-custom-sneakers/

The objective of this program was to elevate sponsorship activation and increase awareness of Corona Extra’s Texas Longhorns partnership during the 19-20 basketball season through a culturally relevant and tech-forward brand experience.

This innovation program was run in the Austin market from January-March 2020, supported through a variety of creative tactics and achieved breakthrough results.

Overview

• In-store promotion that allowed 12 consumers to win a pair of Corona x Texas Longhorn shoes designed by custom shoe designer, Jake Danklefs.
• Program specific POS/promotional tools activated at key retail outlets like Walmart, HEB, and Fiesta
• Augmented Reality experience that allowed fans to explore the iconic Corona beach and enter sweeps
• Custom shoe box with interactive desktop basketball game integration.
• PR unboxing video campaign that engaged sneaker culture and sport influencers with an amazing “Unboxing” opportunity and a pair of the shoes
• In-arena gameday activation and partner media support

Corona x Texas Longhorns HULI Shoe

• HULI Shoe took a more Texas Longhorns-inspired approach. The shoe was designed by San Antonio-based custom shoe designer, Jake Danklefs. The base shoe is a Nike Air Max 1 in premium white leather. The shoe features the best of both iconic brands, Corona and Texas Longhorns.  The shoes exterior incorporated Texas Longhorns’ iconic colors: white and burnt orange and featured a custom white and orange tongue as well as a custom cowhide mudguard; an ode to the team’s famous mascot Bevo.  The tongue prominently featuring the Longhorn Logo.  For exterior Corona branding, we took a minimalistic approach.  This included a custom woven Corona tag at the base of the tongue featured in burnt orange.
• The interior of the shoe included more iconic Corona cues; Custom insoles made from repurposed Corona board shorts featuring the Corona beach. The tongues interior was reconstructed with premium burnt orange leather and a woven Corona Horns Up Limes In tag.

Custom Corona x Texas Longhorns Shoebox

• As “Unboxing Videos” are very prevalent in the shoe culture world, a highly designed shoebox was developed. This box replicated the look of a Corona case of beer and included a Texas Longhorns touch on the exterior.  As a PR influencer or consumer winner opened the box, they saw a congratulatory message, box set-up instructions, and a handwritten number highlighting the exclusivity of the shoes, 1 of only 12 pairs.  Upon opening the box, the sides collapsed to reveal the custom shoes and the Corona HULI beach basketball court. The box then converted into a mini “pop-a-shot” basketball hoop for some fun desktop hoops.

Augmented Reality with Sweeps Entry

• In another step to elevate the enter-to-win experience, Corona worked with Dallas-based, Groove Jones to develop a Corona Beach web AR environment that featured the iconic Corona beach, custom shoebox, and shoes. A QR code, used at retail, helped transport consumers to the beach where they could enter the sweeps via a Scan/Find/Win approach. They scanned the QR code, where they were able to explore the iconic Corona Beach. As they moved through the area, they had to find the Corona shoebox. Upon clicking the box, the shoe would pop up out of the box.  The consumer was then able to rotate the shoe for a closer look and then click a button to be able to enter to win.

PR Campaign

• PR campaign targeted earned and paid media and social coverage via key sports business and shoe culture innovators on a national basis. The Corona Longhorns Shoes and Shoebox were sent out to sites like Business Insider, influencers like Darren Rovell (The Outdoor Network), Tony Mui (Complex Media), and Seth Fowler (@RealSethFowler).  Additionally, outlets like @KicksOnFire, @TheCultureCreators, @FlipBoard, @BallerStatus, @TheScore, and @Respect covered the shoe and shoebox experience.

Off & On-Premise POS

• All key POS and promotional tools with the promotional message and QR codes supported at key outlets like Walmart, HEB, Fiesta, and on-premise accounts throughout Austin.

 Big Results

• Sales
  • Corona Extra sales UP +14.1% from January-March in Austin
  • Corona Premier sales UP +24.5% from January-March in Austin
• PR
  • 85,141,742 Total Impressions via Media and Social (US ONLY)
    • 108MM global in total via Business Insider pick-up in UK and India
  • 32 Media and Social Placements
    • Secured Business Insider, Complex, The Culture Creators, Yahoo Sports, Kicks on Fire, RESPECT, The Score, Flipboard, Baller Status, and others

 Team Credits

• Client Lead – Constellation Brands (Ryan McMullen, Field Marketing Director / Luis Moreno, Field Marketing Manager)
  • PR developed by Stephanie McGuane, External Communications Manager, Constellation Brands, PR, and John Manzo, Account Supervisor at Zeno Group PR
  • AR developed by Groove Jones
  • Shoe developed by Jake Danklefs, Owner, Dank & Co
  • Shoebox developed by Greg Weiss, Partner, MDL Product Solutions
  • POS developed by John Condon, President, Condon Randis
  • Photography developed by Jake Ryan Hull, Founder, Cinderblock and Emilio Zuniga, Owner, PK Zuniga Photography

About the Communicator Awards

The Communicator Awards is dedicated to recognizing excellence, effectiveness, and innovation across all areas of communication. We are the leading international awards program honoring talent in this highly competitive field. Founded nearly three decades ago, The Communicator Awards receives almost 5,000 entries from companies, agencies, studios, and boutique shops of all sizes, making it, globally, one of the largest award shows of its kind. The Communicator Awards honors work that transcends craftwork that made a lasting impact and provides an equal chance of winning to all entrants regardless of company or agency size and project budget. If your work moved people, we want to give it a chance to take home a Communicator.

Behind the Communicator Awards

The Communicator Awards is sanctioned and judged by the Academy of Interactive & Visual Arts, an invitation-only group consisting of top-tier professionals from acclaimed media, communications, advertising, creative, and marketing firms. AIVA members include executives from organizations like Amazon, Big Spaceship, Chelsea Pictures, Conde Nast, Critical Mass, Disney, ESPN, GE Digital, IBM, The Nation of Artists, Nextdoor, Spotify, Time, Inc., the Wall Street Journal/Dow Jones, and Wired. To learn more about the AIVA please visit www.aiva.org.