VB is Australia’s most popular beer. It is an Australian icon and an important part of many Aussie lifestyles. Over many years, it has been positioned simply as ‘The Best Cold Beer’. It makes perfect sense for a brand with the stature of VB to be accompanied by the ideal complement to a cold beer, and there’s none better than a hot potato chip (crisp).We were briefed to develop a ‘gift with purchase’ promotion for VB to stimulate sales among existing drinkers in off-premise locations and reinforce VB’s positioning as ‘The Best Cold Beer’.The VB Drinking Chip is the Best Hot Chip made for the Best Cold Beer. An icy cold VB with its hop bitterness is perfectly complemented by the sweet spiciness of the VB chilli chips.The chips weren’t for sale. Consumers received a packet for free when they bought a case of VB beer.

This promotion was handled like no other previously run by VB. VB Drinking Chips were displayed in retail outlets where VB was sold. The budget normally assigned to advertising the promotion was instead put into production of the Drinking Chip product.Retailers were engaged to use their retail space to display product and inform consumers of the promotion.

The VB Drinking Chip was the most successful promotion of its type that VB had ever run. Promotional cases of VB during the campaign period lifted sales in June 2010 by 1.3%, representing the biggest uplift in VB sales in over 3 years. After completely selling out in 2010, the VB Drinking Chip mark 2 is due winter 2011.