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Beer commercials Odumegwu-Ojukwu died in November seek to represent 2011 at the age of 78. But his memory remains strong among the Igbo, one the the national identity three biggest ethnic groups in Nigeria and comprising about 40-million people. Tapping into this connection is now proving to be marketing gold for the Hero According to the website Nationalism brand. Noted Nigerian Brands: “A visit to Watch, beer commercials have become any local bar in south-eastern Nigeria will one of the main vehicles for the show that Hero beer is holding its own in representation of national identity. Noted the competition for shelf space, another Above and left: the site: “The initiative comes from the example of how ethnic branding can Beer brand Molson’s beer companies themselves, looking for connect a brand to its target customers. A ‘I am Canadian’ campaign in a way to sell more beer. They seem to Hero beer lover remarked that ‘In Hero beer, 2000 was highly operate according to the following logic: the spirit of Ojukwu and Biafra rise again’.” successful Young men drink beer. Young men are According to Bloomberg news agency, nationalist. Therefore: promoting nationalist SABMiller denies that Hero’s branding Beer, it seems, is an ideal product pride will lead people to drink more beer.” and packaging is intended to carry political for such nationalism. As Columbia Bearing this in mind, global brewing leanings. Rather, said the brewing giant, Business School’s Eliot Brockner wrote giant SABMiller launched the Hero beer the aim was to create a ‘local feel’ for the in a piece about the marketing campaign brand in south-eastern Nigeria in 2012. brand. “Hero was developed as a result of of Quilmes beer in Argentina (which According to an article on the Nigerian deep local consumer insight and positive includes advertisements targeted at Brands blog, in a short time the brand associations with the Igbo tribe,” the specific regions within the country), beer has become a firm favourite in the local company said in a response to questions is intensely local, since historically it market. The beer, said the blog, has from Bloomberg. “There is no historic or was brewed locally and was difficult to “got Nigerian Breweries Plc, brewers of political motivation behind the brand and transport out of the home region. Star, Harp and Heineken beers, worried it is in no way designed to represent a In 2000, beer company Molson as Hero appears to have edged out Star political view.” launched an advert in Canada entitled and Harp brands as market leader in the ‘I am Canadian’. Molson’s success was south-eastern states”. emulated elsewhere, notably by Australian The site explains how beer drinkers beer giant Fosters in its ‘I Believe’ have christened Hero ‘Oh Mpa’, “in campaign. Over in the small Southeast- reverence and as a mark of respect (Mpa Asian nation of Laos, Beerlao beer means father in the Igbo language) … it dominates the domestic market with its may seem that the logo of the beer, which nationally themed ads. depicts a rising sun just like the Biafran In South Africa, Castle Lager does flag, has struck a deep chord among Igbo much the same thing by leveraging its people. The Igbos had fought a civil war as sponsorship of national sports teams Biafrans against the Nigerian government. like the Bafana Bafana soccer team and Memories of that war still linger and there Springbok rugby team. Its advertisements are still deep-rooted sentiments among the frequently play on the nationalism aspect Igbos for anything Biafran.” and elements that are deemed to be According to an article by Bloomberg uniquely South African, such as the news agency, which looked at the impact national love for braaivleis (barbecue). of the Hero brand in Nigeria: “Oh Mpa… is widely regarded as referring to the late Promoting the anthem Chukwuemeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu, In 2011, when popular singer Ard who led a failed attempt to secede Matthews stumbled over the words to the from Nigeria in the 1960s and set up an national anthem at an event to announce independent nation of Biafra that sparked the Springbok squad for the 2011 IRB a 30-month civil war. With its Hero bottles Rugby World Cup, the brand was quick bearing the rising sun that appeared on Above: Castle Lager capitalised on a public gaffe by launching a campaign to place a print advertisement with all the the Biafran flag, SABMiller is tapping into to promote the SA national anthem words to the anthem. the area’s nationalism.” Third quarter 2014 strategicmarketingafrica 41 40-41 Nationalism in Marketing v2.indd 39 2014/06/26 3:44 PM