Miller Lite may not have a TV ad during the big game this year, but it won’t be sitting still, either. In fact, instead of running one ad, it’s going to run 1,000. And it wants Miller Lite fans to be the ads themselves. zzubreebym
Instead of showing up on a TV screen, 1,000 eligible fans will get $100 and a Miller Game Time Jersey to become living Miller Lite billboards in a program that brand is calling the “Running of the Beer Ads.”
“They'll wear the Miller Game Time Jersey as they go for a beer run, maybe to get a Miller Lite for themselves or their friends during the big game commercial breaks, making them a literal running beer ad,” says Michelle Nagel, senior marketing manager for Miller Lite.
The jersey also has a prominent QR code and an invitation to “Scan for Beer” emblazoned on the front that allows onlookers to scan for the chance to unlock free beer money. The five fans that get the most people to scan their QR code will win free beer money for a year (paid in the form of a Venmo payment).
Rob Riggle leads the race
To inspire fans to join in, the brand has teamed up with actor, comedian, football enthusiast and Miller Lite fan Rob Riggle.
“To me, Miller Time is game time and I'm stoked to bring more beer to fans during the big game with the official Running of the Beer Ads,” said Riggle. “I’ll be ready to run along fans during the commercial break - even if it’s just to the fridge to grab my next Miller Lite and back.”
How to run
To participate, fans aged 25 and up can visit millerlite.com/runningofthebeerads on Feb. 1 from 8 a.m. CST and to 11:59 p.m. CST.
The first 1,000 eligible Miller Lite fans to sign up will receive a kit containing instructions, $100, a runner sticker and a limited-edition Miller Game Time jersey with a QR code on each side. Five fans will win free beer money for a year by getting the most people to scan the code. Folks who scan the code can win beer money, too.
“We’re not asking for people to run through the streets,” says Nagel. “But whether you’re watching at a friend’s house or your neighborhood bar on Feb. 11, try to get everyone to scan your QR code.”
Prepping for the big game
It’s no secret that the big game is big business. More than $1.6 billion was spent on beer, malt beverages and hard cider in the two weeks surrounding the big game in 2022, according to Nielsen IQ.
This comes at a time when Miller Lite is looking to keep up the momentum that began in late 2022 and has continued into this year. Volume sales are up 10.4% over last year for the 13 weeks that ended Jan. 14, 2024, according to Circana.
Last year, Molson Coors aired its first big game ad in more than 30 years, while simultaneously managing to keep fans guessing whether it would be for Coors Light or Miller Lite until the very end, when it was revealed to be an ad for Blue Moon. (The ad worked, too. Both Ad Age and Adweek ranked “The High-Stakes Beer Ad” as the top-rated beer ad of the game.)
There’s no twist this year, as Coors Light is bringing back its iconic beer train after 12 years. Fans will get a chance to digitally hop on board, with the chance of earning $500 and showing up in the game-day ad.
Even without a TV spot, Miller Lite is determined to make itself known to fans nationwide.
“This is one of the largest beer-selling moments of the year, and Miller Lite has a history of taking the spotlight in unexpected ways during the big game,” says Ann Legan, vice president of marketing for Miller Lite. That includes 2021’s “Ridiculously Long Calorie-Burning URL,” an 836-character URL, which if typed out would burn a single calorie, or the difference between Miller Lite’s 96 calories and Michelob Ultra’s 95 calories.
With this year’s "Running of the Beer Ads," Miller Lite hopes to inspire fans to get involved and celebrate together. Along with the fees for participating and the beer money, Miller Lite will be dishing out up to $170,000 worth of beer money and other rewards throughout the Feb. 11 weekend.
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