Miller64 Gets A ‘Dry January’ Update With Succession Star Nicholas Braun

Well maybe calling Nicholas Braun a “star’ with a cast of legends like Brian Cox is a bit of a stretch. But he’s one of our favorites on HBO’s hit series Succession. And the video he did for MillerCoors hyping “Dry-ish January” is too much fun.

Here’s the deal…

MillerCoors just released a fun video for Miller64 for those unwilling to fully commit to the Dry January month-long post-holiday sobriety movement. And MillerCoors, home to the 64 calorie, 2.8% ABV sobriety alternative, smartly chose to work to Nicholas Braun, from HBO’s hit series Succession to plug it.

First, for those of you who haven’t yet checked out HBO’s satirical comedy drama…you need to…It’s only one of the best things on TV.

Succession follows the fictional Roy family, the dysfunctional owners of a global media empire who are fighting for control of the company that was founded by the family’s patriarch, Logan Roy (Brian Cox).

Nicholas Braun plays “Cousin Greg,” in the hit series and he uses his youthful, awkward and quirky charm to good effect in a new Miller64 ad that urges people to celebrate a “dry-ish” January, rather than going totally cold turkey.

With a growing number younger consumers adopting more health-conscious lifestyles, many are ditching sugar, calories, and cutting back on alcohol. MillerCoors felt the timing was right to reintroduce Miller64, a beer that they hadn’t promoted for five years…

Originally launched as MGD 64 in 2008, the brand “has never been able to make a dent in the dominance that Anheuser-Busch’s Michelob Ultra has in the low-cal beer category,” according to AdAge.

“The more we looked at it, the more we all realized Miller64 may have been a beer ahead of its time,” says Nigel Jones, marketing manager for the Miller family of brands. “Given today’s trends and this new curiosity surrounding moderation, this is the right time to reintroduce this brand.”

And using Braun in the planned holiday rollout seemed on target according to Behind the Beer…

“Over the week or so after the holidays, people will be spending a lot of time binge-watching shows, and Succession is one that’s very hot right now,” says Stephanie Petropoulos, an associate marketing manager on the brand. “So when people are scrolling their feeds, they’ll see ‘Cousin Greg’ pop up with Miller64 and they’ll stop and watch.”

The campaign, which was designed by DDB Chicago, comes at a time when Dry January is gaining momentum, especially among younger generations.

Nearly one-quarter of Americans made plans to participate in Dry January last year, according to a poll conducted by YouGov.