CHICAGO Miller Brewing next week will break two image spots tagged, “Miller. Good call,” a client representative has confirmed.
The commercials, from WPP Group agencies Ogilvy & Mather and Young & Rubicam, focus on choice and innovation and kick off an umbrella effort for the Milwaukee brewery, which is owned by South Africa’s SABMiller. The client spent $245 million on domestic ads last year, per TNS Media Intelligence/CMR.
A spot from Y&R in Chicago shows people falling into each other domino style and includes the line, “Because you can get in line and pick what they give you, or you can make your own choice.”
Sources said Y&R will follow up with three spots for Miller Lite that will continue to focus on product attributes. The upcoming Lite work follows Ogilvy ads that played up the brand’s taste and low-carbs. (Y&R has been on the Miller roster but has not previously produced any work.)
The other upcoming image spot, from Ogilvy, whose New York and Chicago offices work on the brand, shows a man in nondescript, everyday settings. It goes on to note that Miller wouldn’t settle for anything so bland, having created both Miller Lite, an early low-calorie beer, and Miller Genuine Draft, which employs a cold filtering process.
The brewery this summer began searching for ideas for an umbrella “trademark” campaign to express “Millerness,” sources said. The brewer heard ideas from roster shops as well as outside agencies including Doe Anderson in Louisville, Ky., and Leagas Delaney in London [Adweek, June 30].
Miller ultimately stuck with Ogilvy and Y&R, as well as independent Wieden + Kennedy in Portland, Ore., which handles Miller High Life and Foster’s. Wieden is also in production on trademark spots. In addition, LatinWorks in Austin, Texas, will produce Hispanic target spots in the campaign, the Miller rep said.
Y&R, Ogilvy Make the Call for Miller
