Courage has developed a campaign supporting the launch of Good Peels, a new challenger brand in the rapidly growing ready-to-drink category.

Launching across East Coast markets in the U.S. this year, Good Peels is a premium spiked apple beverage made with 10% real juice and containing 5% ABV. The new RTD is available in six- and 12-pack varieties, and initially rolled out in New York, Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire and Rhode Island.

Image courtesy of Good Peels

Courage’s Toronto office led the development of the brand’s “Finding the Good” platform, which aims to challenge perceptions of apple as a familiar flavour by positioning Good Peels as something unexpected. The platform’s first social-led campaign is anchored by a spot featuring actor Scott William Winters, who reprises his role from Good Will Hunting and discovers that he does “like them apples” after trying the beverage for the first time.

Winters’ appearance serves as a pop culture vehicle, helping spark curiosity, conversation and product discovery for the brand. The 45-second spot will air across the company’s owned channels and paid social, while the broader campaign will also feature paid and earned creator content featuring the RTD.

“Consumers think they already know apple,” said Good Peels’ senior director of marketing, beer and incubation Elana Blank in a release. “Good Peels exists to prove there’s still room to surprise people. We’ve created a refreshing alcohol beverage that delivers familiar flavor in an entirely unexpected way, giving consumers something new to discover, share, and come back to.”