From Beer to Bread: Find out how this brand attempted to solve hunger in a unique way!

From the desk of Miles Everson:

Hi!

I’m excited to share with you another case study that showcases the effectiveness of guerrilla marketing.

For those of you who may not know, guerrilla marketing is an unconventional strategy that encourages marketers to engage with their target audiences in a genuine, organic, and meaningful way.

I am a huge believer in this strategy because it encourages marketers to come up with out-of-the-box strategies.

Today, I’ll be highlighting a guerrilla marketing campaign that addressed a social issue in a meaningful and creative way!

Ready to know more?

Continue reading below!

From Beer to Bread: Find out how this brand attempted to solve hunger in a unique way!

Poverty and hunger are twin problems that most countries in the world continue to face today.

In South Africa alone, nearly 55% of the population are living in poverty as of 2023. Also, as of Q2 2024, the country has a 33.5% unemployment rate, one of the highest in the world.

Poverty and hunger are interconnected problems that are hard to solve, as it requires almost every sector of a society to work together to bring about change.

Simply said, bringing an end to poverty and hunger, or at least attempting to mitigate their effects, is a huge undertaking that requires lots of willpower, resources, and creativity.

Despite the difficulty, an iconic South African brand still attempted to help the people of its home country in its own unique way.

Its solution?

Repurposing the byproducts of its famous product into nutritious bread!

In 2023, Castle Lager , a South African-based beer brand, launched an initiative dubbed “Bread of the Nation” to help feed South African communities that struggle with hunger.

The initiative —a 3-year commitment—involved the baking of bread using flour that was milled from high-quality spent grain left over from Castle Lager’s beer brewing process.

According to the brand, this solution came about because it wanted to find a way to make a difference using the ingredients it had at its disposal.

Since Castle Lager had 200,000 tonnes of spent grain that was locally sourced in South Africa, it resolved to leverage this byproduct to create food that can be fed to those who are suffering from hunger.

According to the brand, the bread created from this process was rich in energy, fiber, and a source of protein, and was distributed to communities that need it most in South Africa.

As part of this push, the brand partnered with The Health Food Company to produce approximately 30,000 loaves of bread.

Castle Lager also tapped renowned ad agency Ogilvy South Africa to help draw attention to this project.

What’s more?

Castle Lager teamed up with SA Harvest , a non-governmental hunger relief and food rescue organization, to help out in baking and distributing the loaves of bread.

So… did Castle Lager’s “Bread of the Nation” initiative succeed?

YES !

During its first year, the initiative has delivered over 20 million meals to South African communities.

The “Bread of the Nation” initiative also led to an over 21% increase in brand affinity, more than 9% in brand uplift, and contributed to over a 6% increase in sales for Castle Lager.

There’s more!

Castle Lager’s initiative led to citations from prestigious awards-giving bodies like Cannes Lions in 2023 and D&AD in 2024.

According to a D&AD judge, the “Bread of the Nation” initiative is an “example of business transformation fixing a real problem for real people while creating a new brand that stands on its own.”

Talk about an effective and highly beneficial campaign!

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Hunger is a problem that requires not only massive resources but also creative thinking.

By coming up with a creative way to leverage the byproducts of its manufacturing process, Castle Lager came up with an elegant solution that not only helped it reduce waste but also enabled it to help South Africans tackle the problem of hunger head on.

This only shows that with enough creative thinking and willingness to undertake out-of-the-box initiatives, any brand can come up with campaigns that benefit the public while simultaneously generating awareness and boosting sales.

So, the next time you want to do a public good while raising awareness for your brand, take inspiration from Castle Lager’s “Bread of the Nation” initiative!

Hope you’ve found this week’s guerrilla marketing insight interesting and helpful.

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Stay tuned for next Thursday’s Gorillas of Guerrilla Marketing!