Mixing the young guest of honor with senior citizens was part of the stunt’s charm, as was taking it out of a typical nightclub venue and putting it in a place better known for shuffleboard and mahjong.
The geography made sense because Florida is “synonymous with citrus, spring break and residents a wee bit beyond the legal drinking age,” per the brand. But embedding in a retirement complex, and creating content around it, gave the brand an eye-catching hook for a social media campaign.
“Launching a new alcoholic beverage at a retirement community has never been done before—we checked!—so we had a feeling this was going to be something special,” Taylor said.
Just a number
During the event that spilled over its planned three-hour run time, the OG party monsters consumed “more than 750 cans” of Hard Mountain Dew and tried to tote “branded umbrellas, posters and floats back home with them-–or to send to grandchildren,” Taylor said.
The crowd “did not disappoint and quickly proved that age is just a number,” Taylor said, noting that Hard Mountain Dew may have added some new “passionate brand advocates” among the elderly populace.
While it may sound a tad outlandish, “Definitely Over 21” is perfectly on-brand. Hard Mountain Dew, a collaboration between PepsiCo and the Boston Beer Company, established its over-the-top personality when it debuted in early 2022 in three states. A contest on social media asked consumers what they would be willing to do to get a first taste of the product via the “How Far Would You Go” promo.