but how do they make money?
Turning free delivery into a conspiracy, a character, and an always-on channel
THE PROBLEM: Edina Liquor delivers for free, in two hours or less, with only a $35 minimum. That's a great offer with two problems. First, "free delivery" is one of the most boring sentences in advertising. Second, an offer that good makes people suspicious. How does a liquor store deliver for free and still make money?
THE OPPORTUNITY: Don't fight the suspicion. Make it the joke. If the offer sounds too good to be true, the funniest thing you can do is find the one guy who's convinced it is.
THE SOLUTION: Woody, an Edina dad so certain that free delivery was a conspiracy that he'd stop at nothing to uncover the truth. A character-driven campaign to launch the offer, followed by an always-on stream of social content that kept the brand voice running long after the commercials aired.
30+ VIDEOS, 4 SERIES, ONE RUNNING JOKE
THE "WOODY" FILES
Every conspiracy starts in a basement. Woody's did too. Three spots follow him from the pilot episode (red string, bankers boxes, a wall of evidence) to recruiting fellow believers in the park, to the darkest twist of all: Edina Liquor now delivers outside Edina. Great news for customers. Terrible news for Woody.
EDINA ON CAMERA
A community liquor store's best content is the community. Street interviews, 15-second customer reviews, and event recaps put real Edina people on camera and let them do the selling.
THE PROOF: A JOKE THAT KEPT PAYING OFF
One Idea Became a Character
Free delivery could have been a coupon. It became Woody.
Three spots, one recurring character, a story people could reference instead of a message they'd forget.
The offer itself (free, two hours, $35 minimum) landed inside every piece without ever being the punchline.
The Campaign Became a System
Seasonal skits, street interviews, reviews, recaps, and construction updates, all in the same brand voice.
Commercial-grade idea, social-grade speed and cost.
Always on, not one and done.
The Partnership Outlasted the Campaign
A multi-year relationship, not a single project.
When Edina Liquor expanded delivery beyond Edina, the creative expanded with it.
When the parking lot got torn up, that became content too.
FREE DELIVERY. STILL SUSPICIOUS.
DELIVERY, EVERY WHICH WAY
The campaign said "we deliver." The social content kept finding new ways to say it. Same truth, new setting, shot fast and cheap, so the idea never went stale between commercials.
