After years of success built on its signature “Find Your Beach” brand platform, Corona faced a growing challenge. The beach, once the symbol of natural escape and effortless freedom, was becoming a lifestyle cliché
It risked feeling detached from the real world that inspired it. As the brand looked to evolve its creative platform, Corona wanted to understand what the beach means to people today, and how that meaning could be renewed for a new generation.
The brief wasn’t to reinvent Corona, but to reconnect it to the living world that made it
distinctive. In a global context where nature and simplicity have become more valued but
also more commercialized, the task was to re-examine the beach as a cultural and human
symbol with fresh powerful relevance for today’s needs.
We began with a semiotic and cultural analysis of how the beach is represented across markets, decoding the visual and symbolic shifts shaping its meaning. This foundation helped us identify the codes of a changing relationship with the natural world, from relaxation and escape to energy, vitality and belonging.
Building on this, our team ran a series of in-market immersions across Hainan in China, Rio in Brazil and Cornwall in the UK. We spent time on beaches with DJs, surfers and locals, observing how people were using these spaces to recharge and reconnect to something that had been lost. From sunrise gatherings to storm-chasing surf sessions, we saw how the beach continues to act as a social and emotional reset point for people around the world.
The combination of semiotic mapping and lived experience allowed us to surface patterns of meaning that cut across geography but remained rooted in local culture. Working closely with W+K, we translated these insights into a clear set of creative territories for how the brand could re-energise its world and deepen its connection to people today.
Result
The work re-grounded Corona in the physical and emotional reality of the beach. It revealed a renewed role for the brand as a symbol of raw essential vitality, simplicity and human
connection in an increasingly fractious world.
The findings developed new creative territory for Corona, giving the brand a sharper and
more culturally resonant foundation to guide its next chapter.
