The James Ready Blank Cap Recall

Background

James Ready Beer caps always have some sort of message printed on the inside but a printing screw-up led to a million bottles leaving the brewery with blank caps.

Within days, beer drinkers were writing and emailing James Ready to complain.

Idea

James Ready put their hands up and apologised, launching their Blank Cap Recall with a video on Youtube and with a letter in every case of product. Any drinker with a blank cap on their beer could mail it back and in return they would receive 'something' from the brewery as compensation. Each piece of bric-a-brac mailed back came with a personalised note thanking the drinker.

Results

Thousands upon thousands of beer caps were mailed in and continue to arrive at the brewery. JR fans talk about the recall on Facebook, discussing the items they got back. The blank caps may have caused a doubt about whether James Ready cared or would listen to drinker concerns but the recall proved that the brand really does appreciate their drinkers.

Our Thoughts

Genius. Here’s a brand demonstrating that it is alive to its consumers and responding to them in a way that’s both personal and viral.

What makes receiving a plastic dinosaur through the post so funny is that it is so unexpected. Brands don’t normally say sorry. Brands don’t normally send you anything for free, even if it is just a bit of junk-shop tat.

I often bang on about brands needing to be able to articulate and share their values. But that doesn’t mean to say they have to be worthy and dull. Here’s James Ready sharing a sense of humour as well as its integrity and, I sincerely hope, profiting mightily from it.