Supermalt is a non-alcoholic malt drink, which is loved by Afro-Caribbeans of all generations. Many people talk about when they were growing up, “Supermalt was ALWAYS in the fridge”.

It’s consumed for a number of reasons, including the reason that it gives older Afro-Caribbeans a feeling of a product from ‘home’.

How was this achieved?

 In 2014, Supermalt saw a significant refresh in its look through branding, production and new media execution. With this in mind, as an agency we looked to move from a “Masstige” focus – tactics with mass-market appeal + prestige elements (with premium and heritage feel) to a “Massclusive” focus – tactics providing affordable premium consumption that combines mass with the truly exclusive: tasteful, rare, experiential, new/mas premium partnerships, compelling stories and more.

This shift in focus would make Supermalt stand out from the crowd.

In line with this and Supermalt’s ‘GOT IT’ marketing strategy, the Supermalt Fashion Showcase aimed to bring together a collection of Afro-Caribbean-inspired brands in an exclusive showcase of their pieces. Celebrating the influence of traditional African attire and retro Caribbean sense of style has had on modern-day fashion trends. In the production of the showcase, we focused on implementing elements that would create a premium consumer experience which would be surprising, compelling, unique and Instagramable.

The event worked by bringing together a collection of different brands to showcase in one place. Each participating brand embodied what the event was celebrating in different ways through their designs, backgrounds and upbringing.

The final selections of featuring brands were strategically selected to ensure they fit the event's feel. The fact that they were selected signifies them as representatives of the ‘Got It’ campaign, as, like in previous campaigns, selected affiliates are being dubbed the brands that have ‘Got It’.

With Blackall Studios, based in London’s fashion district, Shoreditch, the event's tone was set, following the footsteps of famous fashion brands, including the likes of Ralph Lauren and alcohol brand Smirnoff.

International club and radio DJ, P Montana, brought good times vibes as Supermalt’s newest Soundcloud DJ and host for the night. A number of high profile guests attended the event, including fashion influencers and bloggers such as Beauty By JJ, Breeny Lee, The Slumflower and Sincerely Oghosa. Actor and Comedian Arnold Jeorge and rappers Che Lingo and Parris Wright were also present on the night, as well as singer Ezi Emela and a host of other individuals from within the fashion, music and art world.

Results

Pre-event press coverage was gained across a range of different platforms, all of which listed the event on their website, these included Hoxton Radio and Event Magazine.

Social media analytics showed a clear engagement with this sub-culture through the gain of new followers and active conversation.

In addition to this, over 500 images were uploaded on Instagram with the #SupermaltFashion #Supermalt and #GOTIT hashtags, along with the branding throughout the event showing a personal connection. We generated over 4,000 engagements in total, reaching over 150,000.

We saw over 450 guests out of 600 that RSVP’d attend the event, showing our communications plan worked effectively.

The feedback we received post-event from both the target audience and bloggers and press showed that the current marketing strategy used by Supermalt has been successful.

Stakeholders took to social media to express how ‘cool’ Supermalt is right now and, furthermore, how they are proud to have grown up recognising the brand and to now be affiliated with it more closely.

They now view Supermalt as a brand that is relevant and worthy of the ‘Generation Y’ attention.

Check out another experiential case study here. This time, it’s with Wray & Nephew Overproof Rum.