James Ready Beer is the beer of the people and has always tried to give drinkers more for their money. It engages and celebrates its drinkers in a way that's been very different from what other brands do, and that's helped it stand out despite miniscule budgets.

Breaking from the pack and doing things differently was especially important when James Ready decided to launch in bars across Ontario – where big brands, with big budgets all compete for drinkers' attention.

Apart from stopping your beer condensation from creating a puddle or keeping your fingers busy by ripping them the shreds, coasters don't really add any value to the drinking experience. When guys are out with their buddies, it's all about the experience, being entertained by friends and the laughs that go along with that.

With a budget of less than $15,000, the agency created the first-ever coaster with more – 50% more to be exact. When JR hit the bar scene in 2012, it was accompanied by a coaster that was not just your usual brand story, logo or brewing history, but a coaster with the sole purpose of making the bar experience 50% more awesome for drinkers.

When ordering a JR, one of the 13 coasters gave drinkers more in the form of entertainment, games, information, conversation and size. Some coasters were useful by giving drinkers conversation starters and enders. There were beer rain cheques so buddies wouldn't forget to pay you back a beer. Some were playful, helping guys pass the time with bar games like penny hockey or a Guy.Q. test. Some even allowed guys to save their butts with greeting cards. Cards for their girlfriend/wife said "Where was I last night?... Your rhetorical questions are so cute." Or cards for co-workers that said "Sorry you found out we went to the bar without you… Next time we'll try to be more secretive." The cards were perforated and could be collected, saved and traded.

After a few short months, it was clear that James Ready had once again been able to leverage creative innovation to stand out and get noticed. Not only were bar managers calling, requesting more coasters, but the brand experienced significant growth with an increase in beer consumption between the first and third months, proving you don't need big beer budgets to have a big impact.