✓ Coors Light returns as the official beer sponsor of Leagues Cup
✓ The brand will have a visible presence in the tournament, along with new packaging and interactive fan spaces
✓ With three major soccer tournaments this summer, Coors Light aims to be synonymous with the sport
Coors Light is ready for soccer’s big summer.
In addition to two global tournaments, the brand is returning as the official beer sponsor of Leagues Cup, the massive tournament between teams from the top soccer leagues in North America and Mexico, Major League Soccer and LIGA MX.
Coors Light is stepping up Leagues Cup programming with its “Refresh the Game” campaign, thematic soccer packaging, retail tools, interactive fan spaces, and a sweepstakes for tickets and merchandise.
“Soccer’s popularity in the U.S. is skyrocketing,” says Vi Tran, senior manager of marketing for Coors Light. “We know that soccer fans tend to be younger and more diverse, and we want to make soccer and Coors Light synonymous.”
Coors Light will have a visible presence on the Leagues Cup pitch, where last year it was part of major moments, including the tournament-winning penalty shootout. With 14 million people expected to tune into the tournament – more viewers than baseball’s championship and college basketball’s finals – Coors Light sees a big opportunity with Leagues Cup, which runs from July 26 to Aug. 25.
And with the U.S. hosting a tournament with the top teams from North, Central and South America kicking off this week, and the Paris summer games starting in July, soccer fans have a busy summer ahead of them.
Coors Light’s soccer-themed packaging is already starting to appear in stores and will be followed with national and localized out-of-home ads.
"When people see our soccer packaging and when they see Coors Light is supporting their hometowns, there’s going to be no doubt that Coors Light and soccer are a winning team,” Tran says. Additionally, Coors Light’s new ad will appear on every match of the Leagues Cup on MLS Season Pass on the Apple TV app. The ads are in English and Spanish.
This continues a busy summer for Coors Light, which recently launched its music-focused Chill Amplified program.
The Chill Jersey
The brand is also giving fans a way to chill when the game heats up with the Coors Light Chill Jersey.
“This is the first-ever smart jersey designed to cool you when the game heats up,” says Tran.
She means that literally. Each jersey has built-in thermal sensors that activate a cooling system when they detect someone’s temperature rising. It also has a Captain’s Beer Band, ideal for keeping a chilled Coors Light as close as possible.
Only 90 Chill Jerseys are available for $50, with some being released each day between June 17 and June 21.
Additionally, Coors Light is teaming up with FC Cincinnati’s Luciano Acosta, last year’s MLS MVP, and Sporting Kansas City star Alan Pulido for several media posts, where they’ll giveaway signed jerseys. More details will be released later.
Coors Light is also giving legal drinking-age fans a chance to win tickets to Leagues Cup’s championship game on Aug. 25.
A third of MLS fans identify as Latino and the brand has seen an increase in Latino consumers in recent years. With Coors Light’s soccer-themed packaging and co-displays with Topo Chico Hard Seltzer, the official hard seltzer of Leagues Cup, Tran says there’s an opportunity to further connect with Latino drinkers.
“Soccer is a strong opportunity to welcome a growing new fan base to the brand,” Tran says. “More Latinos are buying Coors Light than a year ago, and that enthusiasm should increase as we get closer to Leagues Cup.”