Corona Debuts Zero-Alcohol Beer With Vitamin D in Ethereal Ad by Juan Cabral

Donovan’s hippie-trippy 1967 track “The Tinker and the Crab” plays over dreamy stop-motion scenes of sand, surf and dappled days at the beach in David Miami’s debut film for Corona Sunbrew, the first non-alcoholic beer infused with Vitamin D.

Shot in Costa Rica by acclaimed MJZ director Juan Cabral, the :60 provides a pleasantly fey introduction for the AB InBev beverage, which is rolling out in Canada with the theme line, “Sunshine, anytime.”

“Corona embraces the outdoors in everything we do, because we believe that outside is where people best disconnect and relax,” says global brand VP Felipe Ambra. “The feeling of the sun is one of the things that people love most about the outdoors, and Corona is always innovating to remind them of that feeling.”

David brought the notion of a zero-alcohol Vitamin D brew to AB InBev nearly three years ago, and assisted in virtually all aspects of development, from taste formulation to product design and marketing strategy. Sunbrew’s introduction this week feels well-timed, as folks seek zero-alcohol alternatives during Dry January.

“The journey was not easy, as Vitamin D is sensitive to oxygen and light, and not easily soluble in water,” notes AB InBev global VP of innovation Brad Weaver. His team persisted through rigorous research and development, “providing a unique opportunity in the market,” Weaver says.

In the spot, Cabral—who helmed iconic ads such as Cadbury’s “Gorilla” and Sony Bravia’s “Balls”—depicts a welcome respite from anxiety. His frames shimmer with suitably sunny, slightly surreal images of turtles, palm fronds and hermit crabs.

“We chose Juan Cabral with the script half baked, so he could come and have the freedom to take it where he wanted and make it better, more beautiful and more memorable,” David CCO Pancho Cassis tells Muse. “At first it was a difficult sell for such an important launch. But it was the right choice.”

It’s a poetic approach that never overpromises, an invitation to unwind, feel the warm breeze on your face and enjoy existence for a while. (You know, there should be a branded island for that.)

As for the music, “‘Here Comes the Sun’ would’ve been a much easier and straight forward choice, but a more obvious one,” says Cassis. “This was special and magical, just what we needed.”

Corona will extend Sunbrew to the U.K., Europe, South America and Asia in coming months. The brand’s other recent initiatives of note include its Clio Sports Award-winning “Match of Ages” and an “all-natural” beach bar for World Oceans Day. Corona has also employed stop-motion techniques before, exploring quality and craft in this impressive 2019 campaign.

CREDITS

Agency: DAVID Miami
Campaign: Corona Presents: Corona Sunbrew
Client: Anheuser-Bush InBev
Brand: Corona
Global CCO & Partner: Pancho Cassis
Global COO: Sylvia Panico
Managing Director: Ricardo Honegger
CCO: Rafael Donato
Executive Creative Director: Fernando Pellizzaro, Jean Zamprogno, Edgard Gianesi
Associate Creative Director: Joana Plautz
Sr. Copywriter: Lucas Silva
Copywriter: Rafael Bornacina, Jared Schermer
Art Director: João Viegas, Sera Takata, Alexandre Smissen
Head of Productiton : Brenda Morrison Fell
Executive Producer: Carlos Torres
Senior producer: Leticia Hernandez
Senior Business Affairs Manager: Barbara Karalis 
Business Affairs Manager: Elizabeth Torriente
Head of Account: Luiza Prata Carvalho
Group Account Director: Gabriella Hellbrugge
Account Supervisor: Alicia Talavera, Carolina Foster
Associate Account Executive: Miguel Barriga
Global Chief Strategy Officer: Paula Vampre
Strategy Director: John Carlaw
Associate Strategy Director: Matias Candido
Strategist: Anastasia Lara

Production Company: MJZ / Labhouse
Director: Juan Cabral
Producer: Nicolas Abelovich
Director of Photography: Leandro Filloy
Production Designer: Carlos Umaña
Lead Stop Motion Animator: Juan Pablo Zaramella
Editors: Emiliano Fardaus & Luciano Sosa
VFX Supervisor: ROJO
Sound Design & Mix: Tres Sonido
Post Production Producer: Julieta Fernández Castagnino
President / Executive Producer (MJZ): David Zander
Managing Director (Labhouse): Flora Fernandez Marengo
Executive Producer (MJZ): Emma Wilcockson