Beer fridge configured to be unlocked only by Canadians

For Molson Canadian's Beer Fridge campaign, the beverages were made available only to those with a Canadian passport.

Businesses with niche appeal oftentimes don’t want to target a large quantity of potential consumers, but rather those who will truly engage with the brand. Just as Israel’s Kidum 700 course posed a challenge to those who came across the advertisement, Molson Canadian’s Beer Fridge campaign saw the beverages made available only to those with a Canadian passport.

Collaborating with design agency Rethink to celebrate Canada Day, the beer producer placed large red fridges filled with bottles of Molson Canadian in public locations around the European countries of Belgium, France, the Netherlands and the UK. Passersby who tried to open the fridge were instructed to place their Canadian passport into the slot to be scanned. Only those with Canadian citizenship were therefore able to unlock the fridge to get the beer. However – once opened – natives were able to sample the exported beverage. The video below documents the campaign:

The Beer Fridge initiative not only caught the attention of its desired audience – Canadians – but also promoted the product abroad, as well as the heritage behind it, something the brand has a history of doing. Could this idea be used for other country-specific products – perhaps in locations such as airports, or government facilities?