I went to the village early this year for the first time in over 20 years, and my visit warranted the purchase of drinks. Loads of alcoholic drinks.
My mum is a drinks distributor, and I almost made the mistake of collecting the alcoholic drinks she offered, but they were too many, and i felt weird driving to the village with them. Lol. I politely declined the offer and decided to purchase the drinks when I got there. Best decision ever, because when I got to the village, was when I remembered what I knew in theory. Easterners have their preferred alcoholic drinks, and Life is one of them.
It’s easy to see why. The brand shares a very long history and a strong connection with the people of South-Eastern Nigeria. Their new Ad, Turu Ugo Lota is another proof of that, if the comments on the post below are anything to go by.
The ad showed that the brand understood its people. But that isn’t the first time the brand is pulling off an Igbo-centric campaign. In fact, I believe the brand may have influenced the Igbo pop culture in advertising with its communication activities before Igbo-centric ads became popular.
The Hi-Life Music Fest, a talent hunt show that began in 2017, sponsored by Life Lager is a direct promotion of Igbo pop culture. And so is the use of popular Igbo music artists specifically for Life’s campaigns in the Eastern market.
Chigioke being crowned the Winner of Hi-Life Fest 2019
Life signed the biggest acts in the East as brand ambassadors. Flavour, who is arguably the most successful musician from the East, was signed by Life Lager as early as 2016. It was a strategic signing as he fits the message of progress propagated by the brand from inception. He was also used to promote the yearly Hi-Life festival.
In 2018, the brand signed Phyno as well and so locked down the two hottest Igbo celebs. Life Lager then proceeded to use its ambassadors across its marketing communication platforms, including OOH and digital, and sponsored a full-length music video featuring both acts in 2020 titled Chop Life.
Apart from its advertising and activations that celebrated the Igbo culture, Life Lager has also positively impacted the lives of Easterners and the development of its community with other various engagements. Such as Life Progress Booster, a program that saw the brand dishing out about 40 Million Naira to support small businesses across the Eastern States every year.
Life Lager also pulled off a stunning beautification of the famous Niger Bridge in Onitsha that connects the eastern and western parts of Nigeria, by lighting it up with beautiful neon lights.
Looking at its rich history, it is not surprising that the brand is still waxing strong after 40 years of existence. It was first brewed in Onitsha, Anambra State in 1981 as a regional eastern beer best known for its rich taste and strong Igbo roots. While it retained its rich taste, the brand refreshed its look in 2020 with a campaign titled Ndu ka, which means Life Is Important.
