DAVID: Corona Extra Lime

The best way to enjoy Corona is with lime. While China drinks the most beer in the world, not many local farmers were growing limes. So, Corona should just import limes, right?

There was a better answer. Instead of importing, Corona and Ogilvy's DAVID thought – why not start a new business? So Corona partnered with local governments and industry leaders to provide local farmers with the knowledge and tools they needed to grow lots of high-quality limes. It’s the biggest commitment the company has ever made in a single market.

After a thousand days of learning, growing and making, Corona Extra Lime – made exclusively with Chinese-grown limes – hit the shelves.

These limes set an unprecedented standard of quality, with an impressive 70% of them being classified as first-grade limes. Notably, they had a remarkable 31% increase in juice content and an acidity level of 4.6pH, rendering them slightly sweeter than common limes.

Not only did Corona Extra Lime improve the experience of drinking Corona beer, but the brand created an entirely new business that both solved Corona's lime supply problem and provided China's struggling farmers with a critical economic lifeline. Two million limes were sold in the first year alone and all profits from the sales were redirected to the farmers, boosting their income by 21% – and boosting Corona beer sales by 29%.

The impact of the campaign was far-reaching. As well as improving lives and creating a new sustainable business model, the initiative was recognised by China’s National Council Awards and the National Congress. It also captured the attention of the public, garnering over one billion media impressions and an advertising value equivalence of over $11m in earned media. Overall, Corona’s brand power in China grew by 17% and the campaign earned a Titanium Lion at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity in 2023.