Miller Lite, and the entire American Light Lager category, has continued to wage a battle for relevance with Millennial consumers as they lost ground to craft beers and cocktails. In this battle, Miller Lite has had the added challenge of reversing young drinker perception that the brand is "for old people", or even worse a "frat boy" beer. Aiming to seed their new positioning in a genuine way, the brand needed to get guys to understand and live the philosophy "As long as you are you, It's Miller Time."
We needed to recruit Millennial guys (age 21-27) who have an affinity for beer and consume it several times a week, but don't currently consider Miller Lite.
The goal was to get Millennial guys to view Miller Lite as a "beer for me".
"As long as you are you, It's Miller time."
Millennial guys use social media to define themselves to others—to share what they value, how they view the world and to find their place in it. But expressing what you stand for is often a tough task. Miller Lite seized the opportunity to show guys that how you live is the greatest expression of what you believe. And that what you post does just that.
Miller Lite Mantras
Taking to Instagram for self-expression, just as our guys do, Miller Lite created a series of posts that unveiled our mantra in unique, honest ways. Iconic bar scenes and bonding moments were converted into a canvas for rallying calls like "If It's Your Thing, It's a Thing" and "Some Things Are Better Cheered Than Said".
Stopping the Scroll
In a world where most beer brands litter the feed with "product porn", Miller Lite focused on something real. And the brand reversed the expectation that Instagram has to be an entirely visual medium by tapping an emerging trend of typographical design. The brand leaned in on a neuroscience truth—that learning from a new perspective provides positive affirmation. Simply put, these posts encouraged guys to believe in who they are more deeply.
Thumb-Stopping Power
Not only did the posts generate high engagement from new fans, they inspired the guys who viewed them to tag their friends that they felt lived by the same refrains. This tagging happened completely organically, because the brand behaved as their audience does. There was no call to action or copy asking people to engage. Just a brand proclaiming what they stood for, and inspiring others to do the same.
Increased Relevancy
Ultimately, Miller Lite increased credibility among existing fans and recruited new ones through targeted media amplification.
Industry Recognition
Leaders in the ad community, including Adweek, highlighted the innovative use of Instagram and the breakthrough typographical brand approach.
