Export Dry was New Zealand’s first premium Dry beer. But over the past decade the premium beer category has exploded, pushing the once popular Export Dry into obscurity. As a consequence Export Dry sales are in steep decline. We needed to turn Export Dry’s fortunes around and once again position it as a credible premium beer for young guys.

Research showed that our target market didn’t like wine, but occasionally drank it because of societal pressures to appear sophisticated (e.g.) at weddings, work functions, dinner parties, restaurants etc. Beer can be seen as 'uncouth' or just for 'blokes', and even premium beers struggle to make it to the dinner table.

So we positioned Export Dry as the beer that saves men from wine. A premium beer that guys could feel comfortable drinking on any occasion.

Up and down the country, men said no to wine and picked up Export Dry instead, completely turning around Export Dry’s fortunes.In one month, the campaign helped Export Dry sales grow 20%, while it’s biggest competitor decreased at 8%, all within a beer market declining at 7%.

And success has continued. In the first 3 months, sales have experienced a complete turnaround, up 41% from the start of the year.

In a competitive premium beer market, we knew things would be tough. So we went to war with something we knew we could beat… wine.First we took the fight to TV, pitching Export Dry as the beer that would save men from wine. Starting with Export Dry’s launch in 1987 in the middle of New Zealand’s Great Wine Depression, the battle lines were drawn for the fight to continue in 2012.We then opened up multiple fronts – print, online, in-store, ambient, promotional and direct.We even took wine on in its own environments. We created wine lists that encouraged men to stop playing pretend and order a beer, while also creating our own special edition wine that gave guys $5 off Export Dry, using it to hijack a wine store.