CHICAGO -- This summer, Miller Lite is introducing American beer drinkers to the Vortex bottle, which has specially designed grooves on the inside of the neck. The spiral on the inside of the Miller Lite Vortex Bottle features specially designed grooves that allow the beer's "taste to flow right out."
MillerCoors is supporting the launch with an "aggressive," integrated marketing plan, it said. This new twist on the standard beer bottle will be featured in television, radio, print, out-of-home and digital advertising, as well as PR, digital marketing and a full array [image-nocss] of retail merchandising materials.
The Miller Lite Vortex Bottle will be available nationally starting in May. It will be the focus of the company's retail promotion from May through July and will continue to be available after the promotion ends.
The Vortex bottle was developed in partnership with Owens-Illinois specifically for Miller Lite, said the Chicago-headquartered brewing company.
MillerCoors executives met with wholesalers last week in Las Vegas to show off some of new campaigns and products, including Miller Vortex, added a report by Brandweek.
A company representative said that the brand's goal is to "create buzz and excitement and give consumers another reason to choose Miller."
The Vortex bottle will be supported by advertising from DraftFCB, the report said.
Another new entry on the product front is Miller Home Draft. Reminiscent of a beer ball, it aims to provide tap-beer taste at home. Also making its debut is a 16-oz. Coors Aluminum Pint and a Coors Light Cold Activated Window 12-pack. The signature silver cans feature a mountain range rendered in a special thermochromatic ink that turns blue when the cans chill to optimal imbibing temperature.
In addition to the new product entries, MillerCoors is planning to launch an on-premise program called "Bet on Taste" that will let consumers compare Miller Lite to other beers, Pepsi-Challenge style, the report said.
On the advertising front, the brewer plans to continue Miller Lite's "Taste Greatness" campaign with new ads that continue to celebrate "macho" Miller Lite drinkers. A new ad in the series, called "Wedding Registry," features an online store where men can register their weddingsand to receive Miller Lite gifts. Another new ad plays on the phenomenon of man-purses.
For MGD 64, a product that made IRI's list of the top launches of 2009 with $52.8 million in sales (excluding Walmart), the brewer will launch what it terms an "aggressive" campaign from Saatchi & Saatchi that will compare the beer to Anheuser-Busch's Michelob Ultrarather than A-B's 55-calorie Select 55with the new tagline, "Have your beer and enjoy it too."
Also, MillerCoors will introduce a new campaign for Keystone Light featuring an "always smooth" spokesperson named Keith Stone. New ads from Saatchi featuring the cool, laid-back rep will run nationallya first for the brand, said Brandweek.
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