Brazil-based beer brand Skol launched a project, Gira na Chuva (Spinning in the Rain), to prevent rain from reaching partiers during the Carnaval festival. Skol’s branded airplane deposited droplets of drinking water into clouds in an effort to trigger rainfall over São Paulo’s main reservoir in order to help keep the reservoir full but also (more importantly!) to stop it raining on the festival parties! The beer company promoted the project, carried out from February 21-26, via social and a web series.
Skol has a great track record of raising the bar when it comes to Carnaval initiatives (remember its biodegradable glitter showers?!). And while we wish they’d picked something equally sustainable for this year’s stunt, there are still a couple of must-discuss takeaways here:
Experience saviors 🙏
If you’re a B2C brand, you already know that a unique experience is essential for standing out in an oversaturated marketplace. But instead of trying to create a new (i.e. brand-focused) experience Skol took an experience dear to all Brazilian hearts – Carnaval – and made sure it went perfectly. Similarly, Amazon’s Coachella delivery lockers ensured customers didn’t have to go without their in-the-moment essentials. At Australia’s Splendour in the Grass musical festival, attendees who took STI tests could gain access to the festival equivalent of the Taj Mahal (a VIP tent with phone charging, ice water and clean bathrooms 😂). Can you be the brand that’s remembered, not just for your product or campaign, but for how you take care of people at the moments that matter to them?
Head in the clouds ⛅
We get it, you probably have a ton of questions. Did this even work? Is it ethical? We’re skeptical too! But let’s focus on the key trend insight for a second. Skol’s attempt to try to control something typically considered out-of-control – the weather! – to ensure a rain-free Carnaval will set customer expectations around brand empathy. After this, you shouldn’t view any customer pain point as being out-of-reach. Be more Skol. Get your head in the clouds! Now that ‘you can’t control the weather’ has been made obsolete (in consumers’ minds), what previously-impossible problem could your brand take on? One eco-request: try and do so in a truly eco-friendly way, please?
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