The Champagne of Beers today is unveiling a new set of television spots that build off a campaign released last year that helped Miller High Life gain share, swing sales dollars to growth and crack the Nielsen Top 10 Growth Brands list on multiple weeks.
The new spots, which are part of the “Welcome to the High Life” campaign, remain product-focused, zooming in on the beer’s unique effervescence, iconic bottle, balanced taste and its heritage. They make use of the brand’s soothing, piano-backed 1970s-era jingle, “If you’ve got the time, we’ve got the beer.”
Miller High Life will release five new spots this year, the first of which airs today. Here’s a look at two:
In addition to the new TV spots, the brand is spending more on out-of-home advertising, which includes high-profile wallscapes, as well as on radio spots that feature the old-school jingle.
The campaign seeks to “remind consumers why High Life is unmistakably the Champagne of Beers,” says Taylor Brown, Miller High Life’s brand manager. “We are continuing to lean-in heavily to this successful campaign, which has proven its ability to reaffirm loyal drinkers’ love for Miller High Life as well as bring new drinkers to the brand.”
The resurrection of the jingle and decision to invest in Miller High Life came as part of a 2016 MillerCoors initiative to stabilize its economy portfolio of beers, which had been underperforming the segment. Economy beers remain a huge volume-driver in beer, and its drinkers are among the most loyal. They're also crucial in helping recruit new legal-drinking age consumers to beer. To bring drinkers back to its economy beers, MillerCoors over the last 18 months has put more resources behind the portfolio.
After finishing 2017 with share gains and sales dollars up slightly, per Nielsen all-outlet and convenience store data through Dec. 30, High Life sales have slowed in the first quarter of 2018. It's a trend the campaign refresh launching today aims to reverse.
Combined with a commitment to continue investing behind the brand, which Brown says will boost sales, Miller High Life sees additional opportunity via driving distribution of its signature bottles in both on-premise accounts like bars and restaurants and off-premise retailers such as big-box stores, grocers and liquor stores.