TORONTO, March 4, 2019 /CNW/ - The Hill Street Beverage Company (TSXV: BEER) ("Hill Street" or the "Company") challenged Canadians to go alcohol-free for the month of January, and in doing so demonstrated its ability to leverage effective marketing to achieve its business objectives.

The "Hill Street Challenge" represented the Company's first fully-integrated marketing campaign, and capitalized on a growing trend to go "dry" for the month of January. It was designed to build awareness of the Hill Street brand amongst Canadians, help people understand the benefits of going alcohol-free, and ultimately drive consideration of the company's alcohol-free products.

"We created the Hill Street Challenge as a way to highlight some benefits of going alcohol-free, but decided to do that in a slightly outrageous way so people would sit-up and take notice" said David Pullara, Chief Marketing Officer at Hill Street, referring to the irreverent videos created as part of the campaign. "We've been working hard over the past year to get people to understand that giving up alcohol doesn't mean giving up drinking or even having a good time, and the outstanding results of this campaign demonstrate our efforts are having an impact."

The Hill Street Challenge was supported using a number of creative elements; video ads, digital and performance marketing assets, and radio partnerships with Zoomer Media, Humble & Fred Radio, and WhatSheSaid Talk Radio were all used to drive awareness of the Challenge.

The Hill Street Challenge also involved a contest component where people were asked to use social media to help one of Hill Street's not-for-profit medical research partners -- either Arthritis Society or Prostate Cancer Canada -- earn a $10,000 donation, resulting in over 800 social media posts. At the end of the campaign, Prostate Cancer Canada earned the $10,000 donation, but a $2,500 donation was also awarded to Arthritis Society for their efforts. Prostate Cancer Canada President and CEO Peter Coleridge was quick to praise the initiative. "We're thrilled to win the Hill Street Challenge," he said. "The initiative raised awareness for two important diseases affecting Canadians – prostate cancer and arthritis. Hill Street Beverage Company is an incredible partner and the gift resulting from our challenge win will allow us to continue to help Canadian families facing this disease through research, support services and education tools."

The Hill Street Challenge generated over 6 million impressions across social media, and over 2.1 million people viewed the video content. The click-through rate from the videos to the Hill Street Challenge landing page was 1.45%, almost seven times the North American average of 0.21%.1 This drove an 8,400% increase in web traffic versus the 30-days prior to the campaign's launch, with the majority of traffic coming from first-time visitors.

Hill Street's marketing is designed to build the Hill Street brand in advance of October, when cannabis-edibles are expected to become legal in Canada. The Company plans to introduce its cannabis-infused beverages under the Hill Street name, leveraging awareness of its alcohol-free adult beverages. A survey conducted in early February of 1,582 Canadians indicated a 300% increase in awareness of "Hill Street" amongst adults, and a 450% increase amongst millennials, over the past eight months.

About Hill Street Beverage Company Inc. (TSXV: BEER)

Hill Street Beverage Company is the world's most award-winning company exclusively focused on alcohol-free beer, wine, and adult format beverages. Hill Street's great-tasting products include Hill Street Craft Brewed Lager, Designated Draft alcohol-free beer, Vin(Zero) wines, and Vintense wines, and have won numerous medals and accolades including three Gold, two Silver, and two Bronze Medals at the U.S. Open Beer Championships, the Retail Council of Canada's Grand Prix award, and a prestigious Double Gold Medal at the San Francisco International Wine Challenge. Hill Street will also produce and sell cannabis-infused adult beverages as soon as the sale of cannabis edibles becomes legal in Canada, expected to occur by October 17, 2019. Hill Street has licensed a patented infusion technology from Lexaria Bioscience (CSE:LXX) that allows cannabis to be infused into a beverage such that it mimics the onset and duration effects of alcohol with minimal impact on the taste, smell, or shelf-stability of the product. Check out Hill Street's award-winning line-up and order product to be delivered straight to your home at www.hillstreetbeverages.com .

1 Source: "Video Ad Performance Metrics, North America", Extreme Reach, October 2018, via eMarketer.com

SOURCE Hill Street Beverage Co.

For further information: For Press: Terry Donnelly, Chairman and CEO, Hill Street Beverage Company Inc., [email protected], (416) 543-4904; For Investors: Gareth Tingling, Investor Relations, [email protected], (647) 797-0219