welcome to flavor town
creating the world’s first
hard seltzer bar
the problem
Truly Hard Seltzer has, throughout its tenure in the hard seltzer category, played the clear No. 2 challenger to White Claw. Through the late oughts and into 2020, the category surged and all of a sudden everyone wanted in on hard seltzer (remember the SNL “JC Penney seltzer” skit?), the clear No. 2 position became a little less clear and we needed to explore a few ways to cut through the noise.
At the time, Truly was attempting to tap into the on-premise with draft seltzer - but a glass of hard seltzer looks just how you think it would... like glass of seltzer water, not exactly a great translation of the exciting citrus and berry flavors the brand is known for on its pack designs. If only we owned a bar where we could concoct hard seltzer beverages that looked as good as they tasted, where we could flex our creativity and show the world how Truly views seltzer as more than just flavored alcoholic sugar water, but as a canvas of sweet possibilty.
So, we made a bar.
Since May 2022, Truly LA has served as the brand’s hub for product innovation, content creation, and experiential activation in the bubble-grunge neighborhood of the DTLA Arts District.
At the time, Truly was attempting to tap into the on-premise with draft seltzer - but a glass of hard seltzer looks just how you think it would... like glass of seltzer water, not exactly a great translation of the exciting citrus and berry flavors the brand is known for on its pack designs. If only we owned a bar where we could concoct hard seltzer beverages that looked as good as they tasted, where we could flex our creativity and show the world how Truly views seltzer as more than just flavored alcoholic sugar water, but as a canvas of sweet possibilty.
So, we made a bar.
Since May 2022, Truly LA has served as the brand’s hub for product innovation, content creation, and experiential activation in the bubble-grunge neighborhood of the DTLA Arts District.
hard seltzer as a canvas
Throughout the years we’ve created dozens of on & off-premise product innovations, each showcasing the versatility of hard seltzer and putting the bravery and creativity of the Truly brand not just on display for, but in the hands of the customer. From Love Island collab can releases, to a full menu of hard seltzer cocktails we call “Trulixirs,” Truly LA has given customers a more qualitative and definitive experience that resonates in an otherwise ambiguous & bland product category.
a hub for creativity
Apart from culinary creativity, Truly LA has partnered with & played host to creators from a variety of disciplines - local muralists’ works adorn our walls, Live Nation performances have graced our tiny stage, we’ve been the set for a handfiul of Truly Brand commercial shoots and we’ve wlecomed dozens of influencers through our doors. It’s only fitting considering the bar is situated in the Arts District, a neighborhood made famous for popularizing live-in artist lofts back in the 90’s.
As the resident photographer / content producer, I both directed and assisted on many of these content productions - whenever a specific shot or video needed to be made for the PR team or Truly brand social, you bet I was somewhere behind the scenes making it happen.
an immersive CX
The bar itself is a branded touchpoint, but we continually pushed the customer experience further through strategic partnerships and live events, providing exciting new experiences to existing fans, and bringing together new audiences through hard seltzer. A few notable activations include: Live Nation Mini Concert Series (streamed live on Twitch), Overheard LA Pickleball Tournament, and LAFC Seltzer Creation & Watch Parties.