Mike’s Hard Lemonade appointed Boulder, Colo., independent full-service agency WorkInProgress as agency of record across its brand portfolio as it embarks on a new product rollout.
“With the upcoming launch of Mike’s Hard Lemonade Seltzer, we need smart and engaging creative to stand out in what’s become a very crowded market,” Mike’s Hard Lemonade CMO John Shea said in a statement. “WIP’s action-based approach will help us successfully launch Mike’s Hard Lemonade Seltzer and allow us to continue to build on the tremendous growth the Mike’s portfolio has experienced.”
The new offering will join a brand roster that already includes flagship Mike’s Hard Lemonade and Mike’s Harder Lemonade. WIP’s campaign for Mike’s Hard Lemonade Seltzer will debut next month and continue throughout the year.
“It’s not often you get to introduce a Hard Lemonade Seltzer made by Hard Lemonade experts because it’s never happened before,” WorkInProgress CCO Matt Talbot said in a statement. “This is an incredible creative opportunity to not only launch a new product, but also to help evolve an already iconic brand.”
WIP’s first work for Mike’s Hard Lemonade debuted last week, when the agency quickly turned around a branded sequel to the viral Zoom Cat Lawyer phenomenon with a digital ad claiming to offer “unreleased footage,” which featured attorney Rod Ponton himself.
The appointment comes on the heels of a competing spirited citrus seltzer making a big splash at the big game, as ABInBev dedicated a 60-second Super Bowl ad to Bud Light Seltzer Lemonade.
With creative moving to WIP, Mike’s Hard Lemonade sent media buying and planning responsibilities to Haworth Media. MSL will retain PR duties, while Epsilon will handle shopper marketing.
The appointment follows a major win for WIP last November, when Domino’s ended its 13-year relationship with CPB to name the independent agency as its new agency of record.