James Ready (beer)
A Canadian lager brand brewed at Moosehead Breweries.
James Ready is a Canadian beer brand produced at Moosehead Breweries locations in Toronto, Montréal, and Saint John. The lineup consists of five lagers, listed from lightest to darkest: James Ready Lager, James Ready Light, James Ready Original Ale, James Ready 5.5, and James Ready 6.0.
The brewery was founded in Saint John by James Ready, an Irish immigrant. Moosehead Breweries was originally started by the Oland family in Nova Scotia. Susannah and John Oland first called their business The Army and Navy Brewery because soldiers made up most of their customers. After two fires and the Halifax Harbour Explosion, the Oland sons moved Moosehead from Halifax to Saint John. There, they purchased the established Ready Brewery and rebranded it as Moosehead Brewery by 1931. Now Canada’s oldest brewery, Moosehead is still run by descendants of the Oland family.
James Ready’s marketing has included several low-cost, social-media-driven campaigns. In 2011, the brand used the letters printed on the underside of bottle caps to run a spelling bee contest. Twice a week, videos on the brand’s Facebook page showed a word spelled out with bottle-cap letters. The first person to replicate that word with their own caps and post a photo won a small trinket.
Another Facebook campaign, called “Drinkers of Awesomeness Bottles,” invited customers to submit pictures proving their loyalty. Based on votes from Facebook followers, the top 100 entrants had their photos turned into labels on actual James Ready bottles. These simple, Facebook-based tactics helped the brand focus its marketing on college students, who made up most of the page’s audience.
Working with the Leo Burnett advertising agency, James Ready prepared for expansion in 2012 and 2013. The brand’s Facebook advertising was driven by a small budget, but with rising competition in the beer industry, James Ready aimed to broaden its market and advertising methods. Past campaigns had emphasized entertainment and consumer interaction. Now, with plans to grow, the brand intends to move into Western Canada and the beer tap market, targeting older drinkers rather than just Southern Ontario college students.
- Brewed at
- Moosehead Breweries (Toronto, Montréal, Saint John)
- Founded by
- James Ready
- Founded in
- Saint John, New Brunswick
- Brand origin
- Canada
- Number of lagers
- 5
- Lager names
- James Ready Lager, James Ready Light, James Ready Original Ale, James Ready 5.5, James Ready 6.0
Lore & Background
Ready Brewery was founded by James Ready, a man from Ireland, in Saint John. Moosehead Brewery was founded by the Oland family in Nova Scotia; its original founders, Susannah and John Oland, first named it The Army and Navy Brewery because most of their customers were soldiers. After two fires and the Halifax Harbour Explosion, the Oland sons relocated Moosehead from Halifax to Saint John, buying the already established Ready Brewery and branding it as Moosehead Brewery by 1931. Moosehead Brewery, now Canada's oldest brewery, is operated by descendants of the Oland family.
Reader's Guide
The James Ready brand has employed a variety of advertising techniques, notably through its Facebook page. In 2011, it held a 'spelling bee competition' using letters on the underside of bottle caps; twice a week, the brand posted videos spelling a word with bottle caps, and the first participant to replicate the word and post it won a small trinket. Another campaign, 'Drinkers of Awesomeness Bottles,' invited drinkers to post pictures to prove loyalty; the top 100 entrants, voted by Facebook followers, had their pictures turned into labels on James Ready beer bottles. These simple, Facebook-based techniques solidified the brand's target market as college students, who dominated the page. Collaborating with the Leo Burnett advertising agency, James Ready prepared for expansion in 2012 and 2013. The brand's Facebook advertising was due to a small budget, but with increased competition, James Ready aims to expand its market and advertising techniques. Plans include moving across Western Canada and into the beer tap industry, opening its target market to older audiences, as opposed to being focused on Southern Ontario college students.
Did You Know?
- James Ready was founded by a man from Ireland in Saint John, New Brunswick.
- Moosehead Brewery, which brews James Ready, was originally named The Army and Navy Brewery.
- The brand's 'Drinkers of Awesomeness Bottles' campaign turned top 100 entrants' pictures into beer bottle labels.
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