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West Coast Cooler - Reclaiming Cultural Relevance for a Legacy Brand
First launched in 1985 in Ireland as a pioneer of the RTD market, West Coast Cooler achieved significant growth in the 90s and 2000’s. By 2021, the brand faced a critical juncture. Rapid volume decline had set in as dated packaging and an aging brand image caused it to lose traction with a new generation of drinkers.
Meanwhile, the Irish RTD category was surging (+29% YoY), driven by post-2020 shifts toward moderation, low calories, and outdoor event-based socialising. Disruptive entrants like White Claw were capturing the attention of Gen Z drinkers, not because of their low/no alternative with simple flavour offerings, but because they captured contemporary cultural relevance.
The Opportunity:
Irish Distillers tasked THINKHOUSE as its strategic brand partner to deliver a transformative repositioning with a dual mandate:
- Recruit: Attract a younger target demographic (25–34-year-old females) with a pack refresh and new 250ml can, offering them a credible, well established, Irish, low/no alternative to other RTDs.
- Retain: Re-engage the brand’s loyal core base (38+ females) without alienating its existing volume source.
Strategic Approach:
Our target audience of younger females were experiencing burnout from the pressure of perfectionism, rigid to-do lists, and endless responsibilities. The global pandemic was also forcing them to reassess wellness, connection and the true meaning of friendship. Being down-to-earth, authentic, and real had become the new aspirational ideal. They didn’t want lofty brand promises; they wanted permission to take shared "time off" seriously.
The Consumer Engagement Platform - B.F.F. True Belonging - repositioned the brand’s role in culture, framing West Coast Cooler as the trusted enabler of real, unpretentious moments of connection with true friends.
Cultural Activation:
THINKHOUSE executed a multi-year strategy designed to drive brand talkability and cultural relevance, moving from a relaunch campaign into a long-term cultural engine generating compounded cultural capital.
- The Relaunch (Only Cans): We launched the new 250ml canned format with a playful, culture-led PR and creator strategy. The accompanying Bag of Cans gifting tote immediately transformed the product into an iconic cultural accessory.
- Culturally Integrated Activations: We moved away from one-off advertising to create high-engagement experiences, including interactive outdoor movie screenings (Mean Girls, Clueless), curated brunches, trade activations, and house parties.
- Creator Ecosystem: We partnered with creators who embody authentic Irish humor and genuine friendship, including Emma Doran, Shane Daniel Byrne, Charleen Murphy & Ellie Kelly, PJ Kirby & Fionnuala Jones, Olivia Spuds, and Maria Lolza.
- Product Innovation as Culture: Line extensions like Sunburst and Apple Drop bypassed standard FMCG marketing, utilising creator-led, curiosity-driven social storytelling that turned new flavor drops into viral cultural moments.
Impact:
Over five years, THINKHOUSE transformed West Coast Cooler from a nostalgic legacy product and dusty brand into Ireland’s premier RTD brand, rich in cultural relevance.
- Commercial Growth: Volume grew by +200% between 2022 and 2026 following the can format launch.
- Market Leadership: West Coast Cooler achieved the #1 RTD brand by value in Ireland.
- Brand Consideration: Post-campaign respondents for the 2026 Apple Drop launch are significantly more aware of West Coast Cooler compared to pre-campaign, indicating effective campaign impact. This is significantly so for women, those aged 18-24 and 25-34s.
- Cultural Relevance: The Apple Drop launch alone drove a 14% increase in Instagram followers in a single month alongside overwhelming positive brand sentiment.
By transforming the brand from a nostalgic memory into an active participant in modern social culture, THINKHOUSE proved how targeted cultural relevance can drive long-term commercial reinvention for a legacy brand.