Ad of the Day: Coors Light Makes Masterful Use of 360° Video in Outdoor-Sports Ads

If you were on the fence about whether to become a pro surfer this summer, Coors Light is out with a new campaign that might make you wonder why you ever hesitated. The ads, created by 72andSunny, combine a couple of themes that are currently popular among marketers—appealing directly to millennials' perceived appetite for adventure, and the use of 360° video. In the first ad, pop on a virtual reality headset (or just spin around with your cursor on the video's desktop version) for a stunning view of the ocean, shot at surfing hot spot Ship Stern Bluff in Tasmania, Australia, from the perspective of a dude or dudette catching a huge wave. Twist the camera to see the water towering above—imposing enough to be thrilling, beautiful enough to put a smile on your face. Naturally, there's a cold beer waiting for you onshore. "Every climb deserves a refreshing finish," reads the copy. "We all have mountains to climb; what's yours?" This is welcome clarification for a mixed-sporting metaphor that would've felt wonky if the footage weren't so charming. It's masterfully paced, with a slow crescendo in both the visuals and the soundtrack, building to a clear, splashy high point and making otherwise boring sports footage come across as surprisingly satisfying. Two more clips—one for whitewater kayaking, shot at Behana Gorge in Wooroonoran National Park in Queensland; the other for downhill biking in nearby Cairns—offer similarly fun rides, though the cycling spot is probably the weakest of the three (a precipitous drop in the kayaking clip, meanwhile, is simply too good). The campaign genuinely capitalizes on the 360° perespective. Many of the moments are exciting from any direction, making this a far better application of the technology than, say, inviting viewers to turn and face a Holiday Inn shower head just to avoid looking at Rob Riggle yammering in a yellow raincoat. Other marketers have illustrated how VR footage can be useful for populations that can't be where they want to, for reasons ranging from illness or work obligations. But Coors Light's treatment captures how, for a broader audience, the technology can be a window into new experiences. Whether that's enough to sell more seltzer beer to twentysomethings isn't clear, but there are worse ways for a brand to package its lifestyle. And while spurring adventure might be its purported goal, the approach also promises that, soon enough, nobody will ever have to go anywhere or do anything for kicks. Popping on a VR headset is way easier—and much dryer—than actually learning to ride waves. CREDITS Client: Coors Light Chief Executive Officer: Gavin Hattersley Chief Marketing Officer: David Kroll Senior Director Marketing: Elina Vives Director of Marketing: Ryan Marek and Brendan Noonan Associate Marketing Manager: Jen Naye Herrmann Agency: 72andSunny Chief Executive Officer, Founder: John Boiler Chief Creative Officer, Co-Founder: Glenn Cole Executive Creative Director, Partner: Bryan Rowles Executive Creative Director, Partner: Jason Norcross Creative Director: Jed Cohen Creative Director: Galen Graham Lead Designer: Anthony Alvarez Sr. Writer: Alberto Garcia Orte Jr. Designer: Chris Ruh Jr. Writer: Matt Fink Executive Film Producer: Jim Haight Sr. Film Producer: Perrin Rausch Jr. Film Producer: Jamie Glass Group Brand Director: James Stephens Brand Director: Andrew Krensky Brand Coordinator: Anthony Fernandez Business Affairs Director: Christina Rust Jr. Business Affairs Manager: Noah Winter Group Strategy Director: Matt Johnson Strategist: Eddie Moraga Production: Unit 9 Executive Producer Unit 9: Luca Delaurentiis Production/Editorial/Visual Effects: Rapid VR Director: Dave Klaiber Executive Producer: Susannah Dilallo Producer: Rita Gagliardi VR Technician: Dan White VR Assistant: Bek Hawkey Music: South Music Executive Producer: Ann Haugen Head of Production, Partner: Dan Pritikin

Brand Marketing

Ad of the Day: Coors Light Makes Masterful Use of 360° Video in Outdoor-Sports Ads

72andSunny's broader view of the beer's lifestyle marketing

Gabriel Beltrone

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Gabriel Beltrone