Miller Genuine Draft had big global ambitions for 2020, the centerpiece of which was a planned expansion of its Miller Music Amplified program into a global concert series featuring top acts.
We all know what happens next. Time stopped in the wake of the global pandemic. Travel was limited. Large gatherings were prohibited. And artists and music fans were stuck in their homes. The shows were called off.
But, Miller Genuine Draft’s global team determined, the show must go on. The series will still take place, but it’s going digital, kicking off in August and running through February 2021.
In the meantime, however, the brand saw an opportunity to sate its homebound fans’ desire for live music by launching a spontaneous campaign called “It’s Miller Time @ Home,” a collaboration with DJ Mag, a British monthly magazine dedicated to electronic dance music and DJs. The live music series, which launched in May, featured a group of “Miller Family” artists that collaborated to produce a series of at-home shows that streamed on social media platforms and combined to reach more than 1 million fans around the globe.
“Even though our consumers are at home at the moment, they’re constantly looking for ways to stay engaged, entertained and connected,” says Max Simons-Dukes, global assistant brand manager for Miller Genuine Draft, who oversees the brand in all markets excluding the United States. “What Miller Genuine Draft is about is exceptional experiences, and despite obvious challenges, we found a way to bring an exceptional experience to our fans directly in their homes.”
In global markets, Miller Genuine Draft has been rooted in music for years, and it’s built a portfolio of trusted artists. After the pandemic hit, the brand wanted to find a way to support some of them while at the same time keeping an audience of homebound fans entertained, Simons-Dukes says.
Miller Genuine Draft, in partnership with DJ Mag, collaborated with four artists around the world — Guille Preda (Paraguay), Tom & Collins (Mexico), Vale Rosales (Honduras), and Feel Good Smalls (Canada) — to conduct individual live performances streamed on social media channels during the month of May.
Preda put on a 49-minute set at dusk live from his balcony in Paraguay; Tom & Collins hosted an exclusive “House Vs. Disco” set from their villa in Acapulco; Rosales performed a 10-minute set as a one-man-band in his living room in Belgium; and Feel Good Smalls shared a 12-track playlist of her career-defining songs from her home in the Philippines.
After their individual performances, the artists collaborated virtually to mix a unique track, “Into the Night,” using an exclusive “It’s Miller Time @ Home” Loopcloud sample pack. The track, which features vocals from Rosales, was released last week on DJ Mag’s Soundcloud page.
“We wanted to ensure these weren’t any old performances,” Simons-Dukes says. “We needed to tie in with our brand proposition of ‘experience the exceptional,’ and DJ Mag is the go-to guru in the industry. Together, we came up with something unique and exceptional.”
The music collaboration with DJ Mag aligns with the brand’s positioning in global markets, where it is marketed as an above-premium beer.
The “It’s Miller Time @ Home” campaign serves as a bridge to the Miller Music Amplified campaign, which plans a series of virtual events featuring global artists in unique locations starting in August.