People’s Captain

Beer drinkers are known for their loyalty, and in the rugby community, Guinness reigns supreme. During the 6 Nations Championship, an impressive 24.5 million pints of beer are sold in pubs, with the lion’s share coming from major brewers.

Enter People’s Captain, a craft beer brand with deep roots in Rugby Union, founded by a former professional player. Despite securing tap placements in six pubs across Twickenham and Richmond during the championship, they faced the challenge of standing out in a Guinness-dominated market.

Their goal was to activate their tap listings while staying true to their brand’s core message of “make it count,” with a particular emphasis on fostering social interaction.

Recognising the challenge of standing out in a bustling bar environment, Spark knew that People’s Captain needed more than just a strong brand identity to capture the attention of drinkers. With alcohol promotions often tricky to navigate, we had to strike a balance between encouraging trial without promoting excessive consumption.

Spark crafted an in-pub promotion that leveraged People’s Captain’s distinctive designs by transforming them into collectible baseball cards. Each card featured a unique prize draw entry code. Pub-goers were enticed to try People’s Captain with the chance to win a pub party at the end of the 6 Nations, where People’s Captain would cover the bar tab.

To add an element of adventure, the campaign encouraged participants to visit all six participating pubs throughout the promotion. Entries were seamlessly managed through a Spark-designed and built microsite, which also provided confirmation of entry and clear messaging to inspire continued engagement.

Throughout the campaign, all communications and the prize structure were thoroughly vetted through the IPM legal service, the Portman Group, and Drink Aware to ensure compliance with guidelines on responsible drinking.

The campaign was a resounding success, with over 1,000 entries to the prize draw, leaving the client more than satisfied with the outcome. Every baseball card was distributed, and the campaign fostered strong, lasting relationships with pub owners, leading to continued listings of People’s Captain’s beers.

Initially, entries were concentrated in just two of the six pubs. However, by the end of the Championship, the lower-performing pubs saw significant growth, demonstrating the effectiveness of the “entry multiplier” mechanic in driving participation across all locations.