Blue Moon today is kicking off the next phase of its 2019 campaign with a two-pronged goal of recruiting new drinkers and showcasing the brand in more occasions.
The next evolution of its Reach for the Moon campaign, which includes new television spots, and out-of-home, digital and social ads, maintains a focus on reinforcing the brand’s strength in bars and restaurants. But it takes the attributes that have made it a runaway success in the on-premise — its bright hazy look, orange garnish and signature glassware — into different settings.
The aim is to show Blue Moon can “bring the extraordinary to the everyday,” says Bryan Ferschinger, vice president of above-premium brands for MillerCoors. “Once in a Blue Moon experiences should happen more than once in a blue moon, and we’re trying to show Blue Moon drinkers that they can enjoy something special almost any night of the week.”
Aimed at 25- to 40-year-olds, Blue Moon’s new work hits as flagship Belgian White Belgian wheat-style ale is coming off its strongest quarter since 2017.
Fueled by its Kentucky Derby sponsorship and celebrations surrounding the 50th anniversary of the moon landing, the brand is riding a wave of momentum, up 4.7% in case volume in the most-recent four-week period, according to Nielsen all-outlet and convenience data. It has clawed its way back to nearly flat year-to-date, data show.
“We want to keep this momentum going and finish the year strong,” Ferschinger says. “Blue Moon may be the No. 1 craft beer, but it has the opportunity to further connect with new drinkers and upwardly mobile consumers. To do that, we need to expand our frame of reference beyond craft; we need to get people drinking Blue Moon more often; and we need them to enjoy this beer not only in bars and restaurants, but in their homes, at barbecues and in backyards.”
Its new lead TV spot is aimed at presenting Blue Moon in an emotional, more aspirational setting. It features a young professional heroine who awakens every morning and witnesses “once in a blue moon” events, such as a man being carried into the sky by a clutch of balloons, a man walking a tightrope strung between two skyscrapers and a whale’s tail breaching the surface of a downtown fountain. The spot ends with her in her apartment, pulling Blue Moon out of her refrigerator and enjoying the beer alone, with a single companion and a group of friends around her dining table.
Another new spot focuses specifically on buttressing the brand’s continued strength in bars and restaurants, homing in on the “romance and extraordinary experience” of drinking the beer on draft in a social setting.
The spots begin airing this week on streaming video services, social media, online video, in cinemas and across 100 top programs on 25 networks on national TV, including Thursday Night Football and Monday Night Football. They will air throughout the fall.
Blue Moon’s outdoor and retail ads will continue to carry the “Reach for the Moon” tagline.
“We’ve got a lot of momentum heading into fall,” Ferschinger says. “And we can’t wait to bring this brand to life in a new way and start a new conversation with consumers.”