Beer can shout for your team: how "Stepan Razin" helped fans be with the team

The Stepan Razin brand, owned by Heineken since 2005, is a St. Petersburg beer with a rich history. For many generations of Leningrad and St. Petersburg natives, it was synonymous with trusted local beer. At the beginning of the 21st century, Stepan Razin had about a quarter of the beer market in St. Petersburg, but gradually, under the pressure of competitors and legislative restrictions, its market share began to decline, especially among the active young audience. By 2020 we have almost completely relaunched the brand. A recognizable feature of "Stepan Razin" became the regularly released collectible series of cans with original designs associated with St. Petersburg and FC Zenit. The can has become the basis of our communication under the limitations of the dark market. But in 2020, a pandemic was added to the restrictions of the dark market, complicating the situation for "Stepan Razin". How can we get marketing bonuses from FC Zenit sponsorship if the stadium is closed to fans? "You will never be alone" — this line of the Zenit anthem became especially important during the pandemic when the stadiums became closed to spectators. The fans support their team as passionately and emotionally as before, but how to get that support across to the team? How to make sure that Zenit and the fans are still "not alone"? Our creative idea is "Beer can shout for team: support Zenit at home like you would do at the stadium, together with "Stepan Razin". It was clearly reflected in the mechanics — the fans, who could not support the team in the stands because of the pandemic, collected new versions of chants from our cans, photographed them, and posted them with a hashtag on social networks. Submitted chants, written in the brand typeface, appeared on the huge LED panel between the first and second tiers of the Zenit Stadium during matches. This, firstly, provided the team with the necessary support on the way to the championship, and secondly, allowed the brand to bypass the restrictions of the dark market and get into the TV broadcasts of matches. Integrated advertisement created by Great, Russia for Stepan Razin, within the category: Alcoholic Drinks.