Really Making it Made to Chill

    Drinking and music- two things that many would say go very well together. Every concert I go to has at least one beer and liquor company sponsoring the event- sometimes even multiple. Coors Light sees the market here- a bunch of young adults ready to go out and have a cold beer while they watch the show. Aftershock Music Festival had Monster Energy Drink as a steady sponsor for years- until last year. When I walked in The familiar booth was now Coors Light Mountains, boasting their one drink option for $18 a pop. And people bought it. I was disappointed free monsters were replaced with $15 beers. And Coors Light is only going to "increase the number of partnerships in music" in the following year. 

    For the past few years the mountain-clad can's logo was "Made to Chill"- that will now be transitioning to "Choose Chill." Michelle St. Jaques, chief commercial officer at Molson Coors states "[music] is the universal language of chill." By bringing on more artists- such as Jason Alden and the Jonas Brothers, previous partners- St. Jaques believes those young adults will grab a cold Coors. Coors Light was also brought back to the Super Bowl after Bud Light lost its relativity to football viewers after partnering with Dylan Mulvaney- a transgender influencer and LGBT activist. 

Molson Coors, the company that owns both Miller and Coors Light ran a Super Bowl ad in 2023 putting the two beers in a competition- and it was a hit. While Modelo holds the number one spot Coors is growing fast- and this is due to their 5 pillar plan aimed at revitalizing the company. Criticism does come from some saying that the focus seems to be on lite beers only- but St. Jacques defends this. “..consumers don’t go out looking to buy a premium light beer. They buy products that meet their needs and occasions.”

Coors is taking the spot Bud Lite once held- in stores, TV, and being #1 in sales. Both companies faced controversy this year after showing support for the LGBTQ+ community- but Molson is coming out on top. Morson chose to sponsor the Denver Pride Parade, and while this upset some conservatives it did not have the widespread reach seen with Dylan Mulvaney and Bud Lite. Modelo is now in the overall #1 spot in America- and while they are also in support of the LGBTQ community, they have not received any harsh backlash for it. 

The value proposition Molson Company holds is being “the world’s most refreshing beer.” The mountains on the can turn blue when chilled to perfection- letting their consumers know the can is fresh and ready to drink. A 12-pack runs about $10 and only 102 calories a can, allowing drinkers to get a good buzz for their buck. 

Last year's Super Bowl commercial was a risk- and it worked in their favor. Pitting the two beers against each other made the parent company thrive. Not everyone at a Superbowl party will be sipping on the same drink- everyone has their own taste. And the advertisement reflected that. The commercial was certainly remarkable. Now that Bud Lite is sharing the air time with other adult beverage companies Coors will have to continue to make remarkable advertisements. 

If I were the brand manager I would NOT be trying to brand Coors Light as “Chill” when inserting themselves into the music community. Sitting down and having a drink when watching football can be marketed as “Chill.” Certainly not music- especially the artists they are partnering with. The Jonas Brothers and Jason Aldean bring in Gen X and Millennials with high energy. If the artists were catering to older generations I would say the campaign would show more success. Looking at their website I found a Coors-themed tailgate chair- that is something I look at and associate the beer with. That's chill.

From my readings, I now see how silly yet damaging controversies are for these companies. They all show support for the LGBTQ+ community yet Bud Lite is the one losing out on billions of dollars. Now competitors that played the same cards that just didn't get noticed are climbing the ladder.

   

Relevent links:

https://www.molsoncoors.com/av?url=https://www.molsoncoors.com/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fe4zS3y9PeI

https://shop.coorslight.com/products/chillthrone

://fuhrerwholesale.com/coors-lights-viral-made-to-chill-campaign-is-moving-the-needle-new-cmos-insightful-ads-speak-directly-to-millennials/