April 22, 2004
Rheingold's Don't Sleep Campaign
Gothamist took a look at the "controversial" Rheingold beer campaign - the one that challenges Mayor Bloomberg's quality of life initiatives - and we have a mixed reaction. The campaign, "Don't Sleep," has a great style, with shots of the people dancing, walking, sitting, or carrying an ashtray around the city, an MC imploring that New Yorkers "can't sleep till we take it back [from Bloomberg, The Man, whomever is getting in the way of our fun]." An awesome branding campaign for young New Yorkers who want to smoke or dance or sit on milk crates. But it doesn't say much about the beer, and the minimal emphasis on what brand it is (it's a short shot of a spinning Rheingold bottle at the end, underneath a graphic) makes it a less than ideal execution to sell beer (not counting the free publicity from this effort, not counting print/outdoor/radio work). Gothamist gives it's an A for representing the city, but a B- to sell the beer.
See the ads the Rheingold Don't Sleep site. Interestingly, they were directed by David Gordon Green, who directed the beautiful George Washington and All the Real Girls. His next film is Undertow, and he's been in talks to adapt Confederacy of Dunces, with Will Ferrell as Ignatius J. Reilly, Mos Def as Jones, and Drew Barrymore (who is producing, along with Steven Soderbergh, George Clooney, etc.) as Darlene.
Today's Gothamist Interview is with Michael Tully, who appears in one of the ads.
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i like the ads okay, but i'm really more interested in the paintings... my bus passes by some of them and if i'm up early enough the storefronts are still closed.
All the Real Girls was a really good little movie.
I think Rheingold did good, because branding is the key. A grade of B- is still pretty good in the ad world.
Most beer ads are crap. If Rheingold did a typical beer ad with young professionals flirting in a typical bar, people wouldn't have even noticed.
Another example of a good beer ad campaign: Red Stripe. Go to their website and watch their commercials--great!
by bringing up the controversial smoking ban, Rheingold was extremely successful in generating a lot of free publicity surrounding the commercials and Bloomberg's inflammatory reaction.
Extreme publicity --> entering public consciousness --> damn good commercial.
Nice try, but the beer is still crap. If it weren't for the fact that just about every open bar event in the city has free Rheingold, I'd never touch it.
Psst, wanna know a secret about Rheingold? They screwed over the city back in 1976. Which is kind of amazing considering what a big year it was for NYC and all in 1976. 200 years of our country being around! And Rheingold celebrated by declaring indpendence from New York City, abandoning their plant and screwing over tons of local workers.
What a bunch of numb nuts telling this city what to do after what they did to this city!
It seems very un-David Gordon Green to direct commercials.
I guess he needs some cash.
Interesting that David Gordon Greene wound up doing the DON'T SLEEP ADS. He just did a bunch of ads for the "truth" anti-smoking campaign.
I find the ads refreshing. Different from the mundance clutter that many of the other beer companies are forcing down viewers throats. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion about the beer and the commercials, I happen to enjoy both.
I find the ads refreshing. Different from the mundance clutter that many of the other beer companies are forcing down viewers throats. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion about the beer and the commercials, I happen to enjoy both.
I find the ads refreshing. Different from the mundance clutter that many of the other beer companies are forcing down viewers throats. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion about the beer and the commercials, I happen to enjoy both.
I find the ads refreshing. Different from the mundance clutter that many of the other beer companies are forcing down viewers throats. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion about the beer and the commercials, I happen to enjoy both.
I find the ads refreshing. Different from the mundance clutter that many of the other beer companies are forcing down viewers throats. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion about the beer and the commercials, I happen to enjoy both.
Hey, History of Rheingold...wanna know another secret? Rheingold was owned by Pepsico (and then chock full o' nuts) when the city was "abandoned" in 1976. How long should a company be blamed for the misdeeds of it's acquirer?
I guess anyone who had a 100-year history in NYC should never be welcomed back after going out of business? It's not like they wanted to go out of business. It's not like they shipped the brewery jobs to India or something. They just closed. It happens every day in this town. Were you living here in 1976? I was, and it wasn't so rosy from an economic standpoint. The city was broke. Literally. The owners (Pepsi) closed the doors b/c they weren't making money.
If you are so incensed at this act against our great city, then take your protest up to Westchester and yell at Pepsico executives.
Please. It's just beer....