Johannes Leonardo has won the creative account for Vizzy, a new hard seltzer brand from Molson Coors that will get a heavy marketing push. The assignment, which was confirmed by a Molson Coors spokeswoman, follows a competitive review and marks the agency’s entry onto the brewer's roster. Molson Coors also works with DDB Chicago and Leo Burnett Chicago. Johannes Leonardo also picked up Cape Line, a flavored malt beverage brand that had been with Energy BBDO. 

Vizzy will hit the market on March 30 with a campaign expected at that time. The brand arrives as Molson Coors attempts to gain ground in the hard seltzer market now dominated by White Claw and Truly. Johannes Leonardo last year created a campaign for Truly on a project basis. The brand, owned by Boston Beer Co., was later shifted to Goodby Silverstein & Partners.

The hard seltzer market, while thriving, is growing more competitive as more brands jump in. Anheuser-Busch InBev recently launched Bud Light Seltzer and backed it with an expensive Super Bowl ad. Molson Coors is seeking to differentiate Vizzy by touting health credentials: ingredients include acerola cherry, a “superfruit” high in the antioxidant vitamin C. Flavors include black cherry lime, blueberry pomegranate, strawberry kiwi and pineapple mango, each with 100 calories, 1 gram of sugar and 5 percent alcohol-by-volume.

“There's no reason to believe that this isn't going to resonate very well with consumers and particularly that 25-to-39-year-old male and female that choose to drink, but are looking for potentially better choices,” Molson Coors CEO Gavin Hattersley said on an earnings call last week. He did not detail how much the brewer is spending on the launch, but said it would amount to a “very robust campaign” that will include national TV, digital, social, out-of-home advertising and a “very strong sampling effort.”