Over the year’s Shiner’s Holiday Cheer has garnered a devoted following, earning a special place in the hearts—and fridges—of beer fans. Not only is its annual return eagerly awaited, much like the excitement surrounding seasonal staples like Starbucks’ Pumpkin Spice Latte or McDonald’s McRib, it’s also the brewery’s #1 selling seasonal beer and 3rd highest selling brand overall. To celebrate this tradition, Shiner tapped its creative agency of record, Bakery, to craft the first-ever campaign for the seasonal beer. The result is a new campaign that showcases the very Texan IYKYK understanding that the arrival of Shiner Holiday Cheer marks the start of the festive season. A hero :30-spot entitled “Barbed Wire Fence” sits at the centre of the campaign. The film opens with two men wrapping up a long day of mending fences on a Texas ranch, cattle grazing in the background. One man places an empty barbed wire spool and a fence post driver in the bed of their UTV, then pulls two ice-cold Shiner Holiday Cheers from the cooler. He sets one on the fence post for his buddy, who’s just finishing up stretching wire. The camera then pulls back to reveal the entire pasture, fenced and serene—only it’s not barbed wire strung along the posts, but glowing Christmas lights that suddenly illuminate the scene.
The campaign also features second, :15 film, “Silent Night,” which opens with the twinkle of the North Star and smoke curling from a chimney. Soft western swing holiday music hums in the background. As the camera slowly pulls back, we discover that the 'roof' is actually a BBQ pit. Seated beside it, a man and his wife relax with bottles of Shiner Holiday Cheer in hand. She turns up the volume on their small radio, and they clink their bottles together in a quiet toast.
In addition to the spots, the campaign includes OOH (“Tis the season for Cheer”) across key Texas markets, as well as Social, CTV, OLV Influencer and Print work. And for fans really excited to embrace the holiday season, Bakery and Shiner are also releasing limited-edition holiday merch, which is available here. The product will be available for a limited time in November and December.
“Texans everywhere know that when Shiner Holiday Cheer hits shelves, it’s officially time to be in festive mode,” said Rodrigo Rothschild, VP, creative director at Bakery. “It’s a cult favourite that’s grown organically over the years, but the time felt right to create a campaign that celebrates that warm and fuzzy association we all have for the brand and for the season. To do that, we wanted to put forth a Hallmark moment with unmistakable Texan charm.”
“Shiner Holiday Cheer isn’t just special for us and for Texans,” said Nick Weiland, brand director of Shiner Beer. “It’s the number one selling Holiday beer in the country. It’s something people look forward to every year, and it was great to work with Bakery to create a campaign that celebrates that connection. I believe it’s a perfect compliment to the warmth and spirit of Holiday Cheer, and we love that it stays true to all of our recent work for Shiner Bock and Shiner Light Blonde that emphasises Shiner as the beer of Texas.”