Joe Public launches Hansa Pilsener campaign targeting millennials

When Hansa Pilsener approached the Joe Public Cape Town, the brief was to make older millennials love Hansa again, the team immediately saw the opportunity to make something standout.

Most South African brands are centred around targeting the 18 to 30-year-olds and don’t pay much attention to the 30-plus market – a market that values authenticity over flash.

With all advertising aimed at Gen Z these days – NFTs, Tiktok dances and influencers in tow – the team saw the opportunity to set Hansa Pilsener apart from the crowd by creating something their more experienced audience would appreciate.

Arné Rust, Brand Director, Hansa: “Hansa is a beloved brand in South Africa, with a rich heritage and authentic positioning. It stands out as the only commercial Pilsener available. The Kiss of the Saaz Hop offers a unique drinking experience that is appreciated and loved by consumers.”

However, beyond this, the brand lost its way in the minds of our consumers and our objective was to focus on our core user base by reintroducing Hansa with a distinct purpose backed up by a unique value proposition, Brewed From Experience.”

The creative execution made use of YouTube’s skippable ad format, which viewers can skip after 6 seconds. The Hansa ads were disguised as content videos on topics that the over-30s watch, like building a treehouse or fixing your car, but transformed after 6 seconds – a clear tactic that ensured that the younger generation would skip the videos. The videos then served as a reminder to the over-30s generation that they’re the ones with the experience to appreciate Hansa Pilsener’s 150 years of brewing excellence.

Brendan Hoffmann, Executive Creative Director, Joe Public Cape Town: “We were excited to shake things up and speak to an experienced generation that may not always be trendsetting, but whose spending power and brand loyalty are undeniable. In a marketing landscape that frequently skews younger, we view this pivot towards Hansa’s seasoned fans as a timely, strategic move – a new kind of cool, if you will.”

In the youth and trend-obsessed culture we live in, this Hansa campaign reminded the over-30’s that some things in life are best enjoyed with a bit of experience.