268 Year-old Belgian Brewery Launched a New Lite Beer in Alabama

INTRODUCING MARTENS BELITE

The lite beer category has exploded in recent years thanks to iconic American Brewers battling it out with start-ups backed by celebrity firepower for the eyes and wallets of young consumers that prefer low-cal, low-carb options.
This month, a new, old, and wholly unconventional player enters the mix … the 268 year-old Belgian brewer, Martens United Dutch Brewery.

An Origin Story Unlike Any Other
The historied brewer’s new brand, Martens BeLite, came to be through one part happenstance and one part business meet-cute.
15-years ago the President and CEO of Buffalo Rock Company (an Alabama soda distributor) visited the Martens brewery museum in Bocholt, Belgium, where he was inspired by the family’s 9-generation commitment to craftsmanship.
When Buffalo Rock expanded into alcohol distribution, Dent contacted the Martens family to develop a brew that combined Belgian quality with a light, familiar experience.
A simple plan. Martens makes the brew, Buffalo Rock introduces it to America.
The result was a “domesticated import,” that packed a belgian flavor punch, crafted specifically for the American palate and the outdoor lifestyle of the Southeast.

About The Launch Campaign

This month that plan comes full circle with a comical launch campaign from creative agency Lewis—Rivals. See it here.
The work, designed to roll BeLite out to American consumers for the first time, launches in a fittingly unconventional market—Birmingham, Alabama.
With no name recognition and no built-in audience, the campaign is designed to change that by commanding attention, sparking conversation, and burning the name into people's minds.
Titled “Rivals,” the work pairs unlikely duos who wouldn’t usually share a moment, yet here they are, raising a beer together.
The creative leans into the absurd warmth of the unexpected.
A hunter and a deer, both grinning, hold up a cold one. "Perfect for any get-together. It's Time to BeLite."
A surfer with a shark-bitten board kicks back on the beach, sharing a beer with the shark.
A mail carrier and the dog who's been chasing him for years clink beers in their local neighborhood.
A knight and a dragon smirk at one another in front of a castle in a mystical land.
A cat and a pesky mouse share a laugh in the kitchen over a glass of BeLite.

The campaign rolls out across OOH, Social Video, Reels & Stories and Social Posts in May, and will continue with a new pair of rivals being posted for two weeks until July.