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The start of January opens the floodgates for marketers from fitness chains, dating apps, health foods, and more to launch campaigns centered around various “New Year, New You” concepts. Beverage marketers have been capitalizing on Dry January, a decade-long challenge to encourage consumers to quit drinking in the first month of the year, with campaigns targeting both drinking and non-drinking brands for years.
This year, non-alcoholic beer manufacturer Athletic Brewing reinterprets Dry January in its own image through the ‘Athletic January’ campaign, which means ‘nothing is dry’. These efforts come as nearly two-thirds (64%) of consumers claim to be reducing their alcohol consumption, and more than one-third (36%) of American drinkers are planning to reduce or quit alcohol in January. This can be seen by the research cited by the brand. .
“Consumers, especially younger consumers, Gen Z and Millennials, are already very likely to consider engagement in some way, shape or form,” said Andrew Katz, CMO. “What we try to do as athletics is to bring some fun and joy to the start of a boring year.”
“Athletic January” builds on last year’s “Ask for Athletic” campaign and consists of 15- and 30-second ads featuring Athletic as a solid choice for non-alcoholic beer for bartenders, waiters and retailers. The multi-million dollar media plan includes TV advertising, outdoor advertising in key markets, streaming audio and podcast advertising, digital media, influencer endorsements and more. This is a full-funnel approach that helps with your brand awareness efforts.
To combat the stigma that still lingers on non-alcoholic beers, Athletic focuses on “liquid to lip” and does about a million samples a year to show how its range of beers are much closer to traditional beers than the non-alcoholic beers of the past. The new campaign includes a sampling component at hundreds of activations, retail sampling and community events across North America and the UK, as well as an “Ask For Athletic Week” effort offering rebates at select locations to provide consumers with risk-free testing.
“We want to simplify the consumer’s life so that they don’t ask, ‘Do you have a good NA beer?’ they just ask, ‘Request a workout,’” Katz said. “As distribution and availability increases, whether it’s a retail store or a store. “Eden consumers are much more likely to encounter us.”
Netflix and Chilling
Athletic’s new campaign builds on the brand’s rapid growth. Since its founding in 2017, the company has grown into a top 20 brewery in the U.S. and currently holds about a fifth of the market share in the non-alcoholic beer category, according to details provided by the company. This growth was supported by changing consumer behavior and culturally oriented marketing efforts toward non-alcoholic and low-alcohol beverages.
Last November, Athletic released its second limited-edition collaboration with Netflix, a hazy Marine Odyssey IPA inspired by the streaming platform’s Barack Obama-narrated documentary series ‘Our Oceans.’ The new beer is tied to the brand’s Two For The Trails environmental grant program, where the company donates 2% of sales (up to $2 million per year) to provide better access to outdoor activities.
The brewer-streamer partnership began in 2023 with the release of Geralt’s Gold, a Hellean lager inspired by Netflix’s fantasy series ‘The Witcher’.
“We definitely did something less commercial to altruistically highlight some of the things we do as a brand,” Katz explained.
Impact and Validation
The Athletic has also worked to connect with influencers and creators through inbound and outbound partnerships. Last year, the brand collaborated with country singer Walker Hayes and teamed up with the influential Holderness Family for a “Holly Hangover” skit just in time for the holiday season. The brand’s approach was a deliberate departure from the influential typology of non-alcoholic beers.
“We’ve been trying to diversify from the athlete and wellness community to music, lifestyle and cuisine,” Katz explained. “We’re trying to reach a broader audience than when the brand first started.”
Since Athletic’s founding, the category has seen a wide range of non-alcoholic beers from key competitors including Corona and Heineken. AB InBev plans to release Michelob Ultra Zero this month. Brands see competition from the “big guys” as validation of their value proposition.
“The more people we can help recognize the category, the better for us. The more people come down the aisle and see us, normalizing NA drinking as part of their repertoire,” Katz said. “We’re not focused on serious community. We’re big fans of you playing your way.”
