When Red Stripe approached Influence, the mandate was clear. Rebuild the brand’s presence in Canada. Create cultural relevance. Deliver measurable growth.
The challenge was not small.
Awareness was low. Competition was high. Regulations were strict.
Luca and the team approached the task with a strategic mindset. Focus on identity. Build community. Use insight to guide creative. The result was a year of structured experimentation that brought the brand back to life in the Canadian market.
Q: How did Influence help Red Stripe reconnect with the Canadian market?
Luca: We had one year to build a foundation that did not exist. The focus was on authentic engagement and clear positioning. We created a full brand book that defined tone, visual language, and culturally relevant messaging. It helped us strike the balance between Jamaican identity and Canadian context, which gave everything we produced a consistent point of view.
The development of the Red Stripe Canada Brand World System. This document included the Verbal Identity and Audience, Visual Identity, Rules and Guidance, Territory and Spaces System, and Partnership Principles.
Born in Jamaica was one of many call to action marks created.
Q: What were some of the key challenges your team faced?
Luca: TikTok kept removing our content. Several videos disappeared before they even had a chance to live. Instead of fighting it, we moved to Instagram and Facebook. We doubled down on creators, limited-time offers, and simple storytelling. The pivot worked. Engagement rates climbed and organic reach was stronger than expected. Sometimes resistance is just a sign to redirect.
Q: How did you bring the brand’s story to life with Canadians?
Luca: We started with real people in real moments. The lifestyle photoshoot set the tone. From there, we built partnerships that celebrated community. Working with chefs and creators like Dwight Smith, Craig Wong, Randy’s Patties, Grace Kennedy Foods, and June Plum helped us ground the brand in culture. Chef Dwight’s jerk chicken made with Red Stripe became a signature piece of content. People asked for the recipe more than once.
Q: The campaign also had a retail component, right?
Luca: Retail had to feel connected to everything else. We created QR-coded neck tags for 5,000 six-packs at the LCBO. Scanning the code unlocked Chef Dwight’s videos and recipes. It was a small idea with a big impact. It turned retail into an entry point for the larger story.
The 360° Campaign assets/media included a on-pack Neck Tag, Creator Video, Social Posts, and Website Article.
Red Stripe paired perfectly with Chef Dwight Smith’s hot jerk chicken.
Red Stripe had a massive presence at SMOKED Live-fire Festival, Presented by Nourish. Chef Dwight Smith gave a live demonstration of the recipe to festival goers.
Q: How did you tie everything together through live experiences?
Luca: The Smoked Live-fire Festival was the moment where everything aligned. Food, music, community. It showed what the brand stands for. We also partnered with the Caribbean Dinner Series during Toronto Caribbean Festival week. Three nights. Sold out. A dinner-for-two giveaway. Both events created genuine connections and positioned Red Stripe as a natural part of Canada’s Caribbean cultural landscape.
Red Stripe ambassadors greeted thirsty fans with iconic Red Stripe stubby bottles served from our Beach Bar.
SMOKED Live-fire goers enjoy some Red Stripe while embracing the Beach Bar Swing.
Q: What do you think made this campaign such a success?
Luca: Cultural insight and collaboration. We built Red Stripe’s Canadian presence by combining digital storytelling, grassroots partnerships, and the right live experiences. By the end of the campaign, we had connected with more than 900,000 Canadians and outperformed industry engagement benchmarks. When a brand honours its roots and invests in community, the results tend to speak for themselves.
Let’s Talk
Luca Del Rosso
Vice President, Properties
Influence Marketing
ldelrosso@influencemarketing.ca
