Reef: launching the return of a 90s classic

Reef: launching the return of a 90s classic
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Case study · Food & Drink

The ready-to-drink market is more crowded than ever. Reef was coming back to shelves and needed to be noticed from day one. We treated its return as a cultural moment and launched on April Fool’s Day, so people were not sure it was real. It reached 34 million people, sold out in multiple stores and set a record for direct sales.

  • 34M combined reach
  • 16 media features
  • 50K+ social engagements
  • Sold out in multiple stores
Reef orange and passionfruit bottles with a jug of Reef on ice
  • Client Reef
  • Sector Drinks, ready-to-drink
  • Services Brand relaunch, consumer PR, social
  • When Launched on April Fool’s Day
  • Audience Drinkers who remember the 90s, and those who do not
  • Channels National media, social

What did Reef need?

Reef was a 90s favourite. As it returned to shelves, it needed enough cut-through to spark conversation and purchase from the first day.

  • Business objective: drive sales from day one, in store and direct to consumer.
  • Communication objective: reintroduce an iconic brand and make its return a talking point.

What was the insight?

A comeback everyone half-remembers is more exciting when people are not sure it is true. Doubt drives sharing.

The idea was a cultural moment, not a product launch, with an April Fool’s reveal.

What did we do?

  • 90s nostalgia. We leaned into memories of Reef to make the return feel like an event.
  • An April Fool’s launch. Announcing on 1 April made people ask whether it was real, and share it.
  • National coverage. The story ran in national media and across social.

What did it achieve?

Results by stage of the AMEC evaluation framework, with the source for each figure.

Stage Measure Result Source
Outputs Media features 16 Prohibition coverage log
Outputs Combined reach 34M Prohibition campaign reporting
Out-takes Social engagements 50K+ Social platform analytics
Impact Stores selling out Multiple Reef
Impact Direct-to-consumer sales Record Reef

What did Reef get from it?

A comeback people talked about and bought. Reef sold out in multiple stores and had record-breaking direct-to-consumer sales.

What did we learn?

  • Use the doubt. An April Fool’s date turned scepticism into shares.
  • Nostalgia needs a twist. Memories got attention, the reveal got it talked about.
  • What we would do differently. agree sales figures and tracking with retailers before launch, so the sell-outs can be quantified.