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(Courtesy Miller Lite)
Back in the 70s, a brand new Miller Lite was looking for a way to connect with beer-lovers who’d never tasted a light beer before. That’s when it unveiled one of the most famous beer campaigns of all time, featuring a collection of iconic retired athletes, who debated which of Miller Lite’s attributes were more important: “great taste” or “less filling.”
And now Miller Lite has updated that legendary campaign, with a whole new roster of now retired all-stars to tap into nostalgia in a totally contemporary way.
“The classic campaign, which ran from the ‘70s until the early ‘90s and featured former stars John Madden and Bob Uecker, was ranked as one of the “Top 100 Campaigns of the 20th Century,” Ann Legan, vice president of marketing for Miller Lite told Beer & Beyond. “And just like the original, the new All Stars campaign will feature some of the top retired athletes in their sports, including J.J. Watt, Reggie Miller, Mia Hamm, David Ortiz and Jorge Posada.”
And actor Luke Wilson also joins the all-star cast, (he’s definitely not retired), who humorously returns to the classic “Great Taste Less Filling” debate.
It’s a lineup of heavy hitters,” says Legan….
“Miller Lite was created to be a disrupter. Right now, the brand has incredible momentum, so how do we stay true to the Miller Lite’s DNA and accelerate where we are today? We’re doing it by staying true to who we are and bringing back a beloved campaign.”
The campaign will also feature a Spanish language version, featuring David Ortiz and Jorge Posada in a baseball locker room debating “gran sabor, llena menos.”
The original campaign is a classic, and these are fresh stories that stay true to the ‘great taste, less filling’ debate,” Legan added. “We’re looking forward to a new generation of Miller Lite consumers continuing the debate,” Legan says.
To honor the heyday of the “Tastes Great, Less Filling” ads, Miller Lite is launching a “double feature” on VHS, the classic video format of the ’80s and ‘90s.
On March 28, the first 50 legal-age consumers who show up at the last Blockbuster Video store, located in Bend, Ore., can pick one up for free. For those who can’t make the trek out to the Northwest, a limited number will be available to legal-age consumers who send in pictures of their VHS player. The sweepstakes runs through April 1 via Miller Lite’s social media channels.
The new videos hope to accelerate what has already been remarkable period of growth for Miller Lite. In the off-premise (think grocery store purchases), the brand has picked up 9.9% in dollar sales, for the 13 weeks that ended Mar. 10 versus last year, according to Circana, a data firm that monitors these kinds of things.
In the on-premise (think bar and restaurant beer sales), Miller Lite was up 11% in 2023, according to Nielsen and Molson Coors wants to keep that momentum going with the updated “More Taste Less Filling” campaign
