Ads for Jai Alai beer start with the basics—how to pronounce it

Having an exotic name can help your brand stand out, but you also don’t want people mispronouncing it. Agency SRG is facing this issue with Jai Alai beer—and is leaning into it with ads that playfully communicate how to pronounce Jai with an H sound.

Here are a couple of 15-second spots from the campaign:

Jai Alai, brewed by Canarchy Craft Brewing Collective/Cigar City Brewing, is the fastest-growing IPA in the country, according to SRG, which is aiming to turn a hurdle into a brand asset.

“Despite their huge and growing success, many people don’t know how to pronounce Jai Alai’s name,” said Adam Wohl, executive creative director at SRG. “It’s a big differentiator and a bit of a burden. We wanted to make it an asset, and in doing so, turn the brand many can’t pronounce into the brand everyone remembers.” 

There are also static and animated digital ads, as well as out-of-home:

“As Jai Alai IPA continues to grow its national footprint, we are excited to extend our media footprint in support of its popularity,” said Maria Grieshaber, Canarchy brand director. “Working with SRG to creatively structure a campaign that is actually a clever tool for increased awareness has given the brand a characteristic it didn’t have before, a little sly humor. Simplicity was pulled off to perfection and that is never an easy feat.”