A Honeycrisp cider from a strange bird needed a positioning just as unexpected to fuel a sales lift.
Four Daughters Vineyard and Winery had a problem: their 100% Honeycrisp hard cider was too polite for its own good. Clean ingredients, gluten-free, champagne-like finish—it all sounded nice. Too nice. We spotted the friction: in a sea of sweet, approachable ciders, Loon Juice’s dry, punchy 6% ABV profile just needed some scratch.
The good was hiding in plain sight. Minnesota’s state bird looks innocent until you learn the truth: loons are strange, fierce, unpredictable creatures. Just like this cider. We built an Idea Stack around one line—A Honeycrisp cider from a strange bird—and brought it to life everywhere people drink.
increase in sales
The Idea
In-store, we plastered cooler doors and shelf talkers with biting loon facts that made people stop and smirk. “When loons are in distress, they’ll do what’s called the dance of death, turning into little black rage monsters until they die. Remember this the next time you call the cable company.” At bars, we launched Duck Duck Loon, a mobile game that turned waiting for drinks into a dare-fueled good time. Spin the loon, do what it says. Borrow someone’s lipstick. Start a conversation. Make the night weird.
The result: Loon Juice increased Minnesota market SKUs by 25%, proving that when you embrace what makes you strange, people can’t help but pay attention.
