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The first anti-craft, craft beer

7/3/2016

 
PictureNo pumpkin-peach ale
House Beer. American Crafted Lager.

It doesn't look like a craft beer. It doesn't sound like a craft beer. On the market only since 2013, its first-ever advertising just released delivers a straightforward story: Beauty shots of the beer. A gentle knock on seasonal beers common among craft brands. A commitment to just one style, and no light version. Many generic-looking images, from happy drinkers to ingredients to brewing equipment to brewing guys. Tongue-in-cheek announcer. Lots of beer-cans-in-ice shots. A nod to its California hometown. Finally, a serious summary statement: "The perfect beer, pure and simple." In other words, craft beer that's just good beer.

This is the first anti-craft, craft beer.

House beer is craft beer, but without the many overwrought peculiarities of the genre. No goofy label graphics. No smart-alecky brand name. No chocolate or grapefruit flavorings. Hipster-free, too (not a beard among any of the brewing dudes!) No overblown price point. After all, "house wine"--the reference point for the brand name--is defined as "relatively inexpensive wine sold in a restaurant."

​Good wine without pretense, meet your beer cousin.
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House beer may well be yet another signal (beyond the segment's rapidly shrinking growth numbers) of the graying of the craft-beer phenomenon. Not just a low-price option, the brand appears to offer many of the good things associated with craft beer, while removing the aspects of preciousness and the sense of self-righteousness most craft beers have embraced. House really is the anti-craft craft. This is a classic positioning move. When everybody goes one way, there can be opportunity in going the opposite direction. Volkswagen is a classic example.

This is also a competitive coup. House beer can't be easily counter-punched by other craft brands. They have all embraced most of what House has removed from its marketing formula, not least of all top-shelf pricing. Which gives House beer an inviting opportunity all to itself.

Like an end-run, with nothing but open field ahead.

​This is a craft beer brand to watch.

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    The Author

    Dan Fox is a real beer guy.

    For more than half his 30-year career at ad agency, Foote, Cone & Belding, he ran the Coors Brewing account. Leading a group of dozens of advertising professionals, Dan also personally wrote the Pete Coors "Somewhere near Golden, Colorado" commercials, designed the Coors NASCAR graphics, authored sales-convention speeches, and most important of all, formulated marketing strategy for virtually every Coors brand, including Coors Light, Keystone, Killian's Irish Red and more. His proudest achievement? "Our team had every Coors brand growing at once."

    Over his advertising career, Dan was personally involved in the analysis, planning and creation of thousands of ads for a variety of products and services. By way of this blog, he freely shares his expertise about what works, and what doesn't, when it comes to selling beer.

    If you're in the beer-marketing business--or just interested in the subject--you may want to read what "HeyBeerDan" has to say.

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