Break the rules. Build on the equity.

A chilled Corona Sunbrew Citrus Cerveza bottle against a vibrant orange background with illustrated citrus slices — packaging design by Beardwood

Company - Corona Sunbrew

Summary

Gen Z drinkers were already hacking Corona with fruit. Corona saw the opportunity: give them a citrus beer built for it. The insight was obvious. Making it unmistakable on shelf? That took guts. How do you signal "this Corona is different" without losing the brand equity that made people want to hack it in the first place?

Most beer packaging whispers flavor: a subtle fruit illustration, a color shift. We screamed it: Mexican street art that explodes across the bottom of the bottle while the Corona crown holds its own at the top. Raw, textured citrus renderings make flavor intensity impossible to miss. The design was built to create a three-foot flavor wall that stops you mid-stride.

Services

Brand Packaging
Brand World
Design Architecture

THE BRAVE IDEA

Explode the citrus flavor

to keep the beer crown.

The visual language alone wasn't enough. Through testing, we found the words that made the proposition click: Citrus Cerveza. These two words told consumers exactly what to expect. Locked up with the logo, it worked as hard as the street art. Sunbrew launched as the #1 new item in the entire beer category, and two-thirds of buyers were new to Corona. A big win in CPG branding.

Friends gather at a Corona Sunbrew-branded food truck by a marina at golden hour — packaging design by Beardwood

THE GROWTH

Corona Sunbrew launched as the #1 new item and #6 share gainer in the entire beer category (Circana, March–September 2025). Two-thirds of buyers were new to Corona—we brought a new generation into the brand. Growth without stealing from yourself. Distribution expanded through 30,000 shopper-first shelf initiatives. Recognition: PAC Global Awards 2026 Best In Class Winner.

New item in the entire beer category

2/3

of buyers were new to Corona

A man holds a Corona Sunbrew bottle while shooting with a film camera against a blue sky — packaging design by Beardwood

A hand holds a Corona Sunbrew Citrus Cerveza bottle outdoors on a sunny picnic blanket — packaging design by Beardwood

A Corona Sunbrew Citrus Cerveza branded outdoor bar with orange stools and glowing string lights — packaging design by Beardwood

“

This new brew was created with the flavor-seeking Gen Z audience in mind, a group of drinkers known for their experimentation and mixing. We opted to do the mixing for them and create a product true to our heritage, but in a flavor-forward way that’s uniquely Corona

”

Saúl Trejo

Director of Brand Marketing Corona