Coors Light is cold. The brewery in Golden, Colorado has spent countless millions to make and remake this point, but mostly failing to explain what cold means to the beer drinker. For what it’s worth, Coors Light is cold-filtered and the beer never gets to room temperature—it’s delivered to the store in refrigerated trucks.
Now, Adweek points to Leo Burnett’s debut campaign for the beer brand and how it speaks to a new generation of consumers.
Interesting. The bra release at the end of the workday seems odd for a beer commercial, but odd is attention-getting, and appealing to women who like light beer is the smart move for Coors Light.
I also like the song, “Pressure Drop” by Toots & the Maytals, which was first recorded in 1968. It’s an old song that the “new generation of consumers” may or may not know, but this song is timeless and I’ve never heard it used in a commercial before.
New Seasons, New Reasons
“Cold has always been part of our brand DNA,” said Ryan Reis, vice president of marketing for Coors Family of Brands. “But in a world where millennial and Gen Z drinkers have more and more choices, we have one job to do: give them a new reason to reach for Coors Light.”
Leo Burnett was chosen to lead creative duties for Coors Light in May of this year following a review. 72andSunny previously led the account.
The effort kicks off this week with video content across streaming services including Hulu and YouTube, as well as live TV on programs such as Shark Week. The brand is also posting more than 500 out-of-home displays nationwide.
The campaign is not dudeless, of course. Here’s a dude drinking beer in the shower. Because he can.
https://youtu.be/YhiQyH4uuzA
Here are two dudes who drink beer for breakfast. Because it’s Saturday, and that’s what dudes do.
https://youtu.be/w3xo9roAdAI
Leadership Matters
Coors Light’s parent company MillerCoors brought on Michelle St. Jacques, its first female chief marketing officer, earlier this year.
For an industry that has relied on sexist advertising for decades, it will be interesting to see how the modern approach plays out. Beer is struggling as a category against wine and spirits, which forces product innovation and marketing innovation.
As someone who remembers the Coors Light twins and the juvenile marketing deployed to support them—Look, boobs!—it’s easy to see how this new work is a marked improvement.
Full disclosure: I worked on several of Coors’ brands at The Integer Group in the late ’90s and early aughts.
