With distribution of the coronavirus vaccine in full swing, Miller Lite is looking ahead to the day bars and restaurants are fully open with limited edition T-shirts that make getting a vaccination easy.
The beer brand’s single-sleeve T-shirts declare it’s “Almost Miller Time,” and customers can choose if they want their right or left shoulder bare. Selling for $10 on Miller Lite’s e-commerce website, proceeds benefit the United States Bartenders' Guild.
“We wanted to find a fun way to talk about the positive and hopeful energy we’re seeing about the return to normal,” says a Miller Lite spokesperson. “It’s the perfect outfit to wear when you get vaccinated, and it’s a fun way to remind everyone that it’s almost Miller Time.”
The pending return to normalcy has been a recurring theme for Miller Lite recently. It sold a collection of bar-scented candles, also supporting the USBG, that allowed people to bring the smell of their favorite bar home. And the latest iteration of the Miller Time campaign reminds people that “your friends are waiting,” using a cold Miller Lite as a way to escape awkward situations.
As more Americans become eligible for vaccination, breweries have started to play a role in encouraging people to get the shot. Two Molson Coors craft partners, Atwater Brewery and Jacob Leinenkugel Brewing Co., are offering free or discounted pints at their taprooms when people show proof of vaccination.
While more on-premise locations are opening or expanding capacity, the pandemic nonetheless did great damage to the industry – and its workers. Miller Lite and Molson Coors last year began supporting the United States Bartenders' Guild's USBG National Charity Foundation’s Bartender Emergency Assistance Program, a relief campaign that aids bartenders and other service professionals, with an initial $1 million donation. Over the course of the year, Miller Lite continued its support of the fund through a number of virtual events.
Now, with U.S. coronavirus cases trending down and vaccinations numbers going up, there’s a newfound sense of optimism.
“We’re one step closer to getting back to meaningful, in-person connections,” the spokesperson says. “Miller Time can happen any time, but nothing beats being with your friends face-to-face.”