Hard FIZZ: From a Wild Idea to a Movement

Back in 2018, our mate FISHER was playing in the States a lot, and he started noticing something interesting—college crowds smashing seltzers at his shows. At the time, seltzers weren’t a thing in Australia, but it was clear that this trend was only going to get bigger. A bit of research confirmed what we already suspected: the category had serious potential Down Under. We moved quickly, assembled our core crew of founders, and by early 2020, Hard FIZZ was born.

From day one, we knew we wanted to do things differently. Traditional marketing? Nah, not for us. We wanted to create something bigger than a brand—we wanted a movement. That’s where our ‘owner-investor’ model came in. Our ambassadors aren’t just faces for the brand; they have skin in the game. Whether it’s in music, sport, or food, they bring Hard FIZZ into their own worlds, and that influence extends across millions of social media followers.

The Power of Guerilla Marketing

We thrive on spontaneity. We don’t always know what’s going to happen, but we’ve figured out that if we put ourselves in a position where something could happen, it usually does—and the results often blow traditional marketing out of the water.

Take last year’s LIV Golf tournament in Adelaide. FISHER was booked to play, so naturally, we rolled in as his entourage. Before we knew it, the players were lining up to do shoeys with us. Then Greg Norman himself jumped on stage, Hard FIZZ shoe in hand, and gave the crowd the ultimate money shot. That’s the kind of stuff you can’t script—but when you create a brand with the right energy, it just happens.

The year before that, FISH stormed the course unscripted and did a shoey with Cameron Smith mid-round. Cameras everywhere. Viral moment locked in. That’s what we live for.

Celebrities Want In—No Strings Attached

We never have to chase down influencers or celebrities. The truth is, they come to us.

Hard FIZZ isn’t just about the drink—it’s about the vibe. The ‘let the good times roll’ energy attracts people who genuinely love what we’re about. A perfect example? British golfer Ian Poulter. One day, we’re scrolling Instagram, and there he is—rocking an Aussie flag bucket hat, sipping a Hard FIZZ, and sharing it with his 600,000 followers. No contract. No sponsorship. Just pure, unfiltered brand love.

Same thing happened with Adelaide Crows captain Rory Sloane. He got snapped carrying a few cases of Hard FIZZ into his end-of-season Mad Monday party, and next thing we know, we’re on the front page of the newspaper. Zero dollars spent. Just genuine exposure from people who back what we’re doing. Even Chris Hemsworth has given us a shout-out in the past. That kind of organic support is what keeps Hard FIZZ rolling.

The Challenge of Doing Things Differently

The hardest part of guerilla marketing? We don’t have full control over it. We can’t plan for viral moments—they just happen. But that’s also what makes it so powerful.

Before Hard FIZZ, some of us were involved in other startups, including a surfwear brand that had zero marketing budget. We had no choice but to get creative and find ways to generate viral moments. Now, with FIZZ, we’re perfecting those lessons. While we’ll always stay true to our roots, we’re also expanding into more mainstream media and traditional outlets to take things even further.