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Icehouse

  • Category semiotics study 

  • Alpha Sessions using Metaphor Elicitation 

  • Brand Latitude 

  • Brand positioning using Archetypes 

The challenge

Icehouse was launched in 1994 as the first American-made ice beer. Despite being a German tradition, ice beer did not continue its initial popularity and was often dismissed as simply a higher-alcohol bang for your buck. While Icehouse maintained a loyal core of enthusiasts over the years, it was not getting the consideration it deserved and sales were in decline.

Our approach

MPE tailored Alpha sessions with brand loyalists and other ice-beer drinkers to better understand the core drinker, their outlook, and their relationship to the brand. We found that they sought out a bolder drinking experience that included a stronger taste profile and the ritual of shifting gears from the workday. These set Icehouse drinkers apart from the “beer sheep” who didn’t appreciate their confidence and daring. We co-created a Strategic Platform to embody the Icehouse they knew and wanted others to experience resulting in a “Bold Moves” strategic direction, which we used to reposition the brand around the positive attributes of strength, moving the brand from the paper bag to a self-selected club of people who seek more from everything in life.

The Result

The brand relaunch in 2018 gained Icehouse new distribution and returned the brand to growth while speaking the core drinkers’ language and expanding relevance beyond the core.

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