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GOLD OGILVY WINNER: NEW AUDIENCES
ADVERTISER: Coors Light – MillerCoors
AGENCIES: 72 and Sunny, Initiative (IPG Mediabrands)
RESEARCH: Redscout
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MARKETING CHALLENGE
In mid-2013, Coors Light's drinker penetration and sales volume were on the decline. Although America's number-two beer had gone through five years of significant growth, its dated marketing tactics were taking their toll on the brand. These included undifferentiated branding, a singular focus that didn't ladder up to a clear benefit and lacked emotional response, and an overreliance on one cohort—males ages 21 to 27 years.
It was time for a new mind-set. One of the main criticisms of beer advertising was that it tended to objectify women or disregard them entirely. By representing a version of masculinity that was outdated and unappealing, Coors Light had done a poor job of recruiting new drinkers. Furthermore, all the big brands were talking over one another, using the same propositions for the same audience.
METHODOLOGY
A large-scale brand segmentation study revealed that women make up a huge, mostly untapped market for beer, consuming more than 17 billion servings in 2014. Parent company MillerCoors began a company-wide research initiative, led by its consumer insights team, in partnership with the Coors Light brand and Redscout, designed to reimagine the role women play in the context of beer. The goal: get rid of old-fashioned, sexist advertising and create a beer culture as open to women as it is for men.
The company used a qualitative, ethnographic approach to study the lives of women to find out what motivates and energizes them in beer and in life. The researchers conducted online interviews with women spanning a variety of age groups, ethnicities, incomes, industries, and sexual orientation; asked them to record consumer journals; and traveled to their homes to spend time with them.
Findings revealed that gender roles are flattening out. Men and women want similar things from brands. Modern drinkers want modern versions of masculinity and femininity reflected at them, meaning there are new ways to talk about the brand. Making beer more acceptable to women can make it more acceptable to men, too. Focusing on positive, yet challenging experiences would pave the way to a higher purpose for Coors Light as the brand that celebrates challenge ("the climb") and provides a refreshing reward.
CREATIVE EXECUTION AND RESULTS
The "Climb On" campaign was designed to appeal to both women and the age 35-year-plus segment of both sexes. A series of advertisements show men and women conquering such personal goals as a marathon or a rodeo, or a female chef enjoying a Coors Light with her staff after a long working day. The narrator says, "Whatever your mountain, climb on." Indeed, the campaign is about more than beer—it's also about striving for your goals and overcoming obstacles, and being rewarded by a refreshing beverage.
The multi-platform campaign launched in January 2016 on television, print, out-of-home, digital, and social media, using 360-degree video and virtual reality formats to emphasize the idea of overcoming new challenges.
"Climb On" spurred an increase in brand awareness over the previous campaign among its new age 35-plus target, while brand penetration, particularly among age 35-plus females, grew for the first time in years. Overall perception of the brand improved. And within a month of the campaign launch, year-over-year sales growth was higher than any single month in several years, with consistent growth through October 2016.