Corona Extra – Lime Wedge Football


Role: Creative Strategist, Wild Card Creative Group



Context

Corona Extra has always leaned into its signature lime ritual. Heading into football season—a space dominated by legacy beer brands—the challenge was to elevate that lime into more than garnish, and make Corona part of the actual football moment.

Approach

To reframe the lime wedge as a ritual-become-icon and drive cultural relevance, I crafted a multi-pronged strategy:

  • Influencer-Led Activation: Launched a challenge-based influencer campaign where creators competed in lime-wedge “game day” flick challenges—delivering a 4.7% engagement rate (vs. the 3.6% target).

  • Celebrity Moment: Strategized and executed Eli Manning’s very first Instagram post, launching his IG presence via the campaign—a cultural milestone.

  • Product Extension: Introduced a limited-edition Lime Wedge Kit—sold directly to consumers and included in campaign activations to bring the ritual home.

  • Creative Briefing: Guided the creative and production teams with cultural connections linking football rituals, tailgate culture, and Corona’s iconic lime.


Media Coverage

To anchor the campaign’s cultural impact, here’s how the press picked it up:

  • Constellation Brands / Press Release: Official announcement of Lime Wedge Football, featuring Corona and Eli Manning’s new game, tied to the $10 (his jersey number) limited-edition kit.

  • Sports Illustrated: Q&A with Eli Manning about the origin of the lime game—how it started as flicking limes during shoots—and his excitement partnering with Corona.

  • Ad Age / SportsBusiness Journal: Highlights Corona’s “new tailgate game” innovation with Eli Manning, complete with game mechanics and branded storytelling.

  • Forbes: Feature story on Eli Manning debuting Lime Wedge Football just in time for NFL season kickoff—a cultural business play.






Results

  • Hit 4.7% average engagement across influencer activations (goal: 3.6%)

  • Eli Manning’s first Instagram post became a cultural moment tied to the campaign

  • Lime Wedge Kits sold out, turning digital engagement into real-world rituals

  • Positioned Corona as more than a beer, but as a football-season cultural catalyst, reinforcing its status as the #1 imported beer in the U.S.

Eli Manning in navy blue polo shirt and white pants smiling, holding a gift box with lime-flavored beer bottles inside, in a bar or restaurant setting.
Young man with curly hair and earrings holding a bottle of Corona Extra beer close to his lips, appearing to drink from it.
Two men sitting at a table covered with a tablecloth designed like a running track, each with a bottle of Corona beer in front of them. One man is wearing a green shirt and has fists clenched in excitement, while the other man, wearing a red shirt, has his arms raised and a wide smile. They are sitting against a brick wall.