Riney Reprises Its Role as the Brand Steward for Iconic Beer
SAN FRANCISCO–Beer connoisseurs may relish the taste of a cold Henry Weinhard’s, but a new ad campaign hopes to remind casual beer drinkers to also pick up a six-pack.
A new TV campaign for the Miller brand broke last week — its first in four years. Officials at Publicis & Hal Riney, which created the ads, said they want to remind consumers that the beer has a storied tradition and tastes good, too.
“The new campaign remains true to Henry’s wry Western character, [but] the advertising’s slower pace and subtle humor make it different,” said Brad Fogel, an account director at Riney.
Two new 60-second spots play on themes of the Old West. In one, titled “Ben,” a cowboy hero bests his villain and relishes the victory by buying a couple of cool ones for his friends at the bar.
In “Fork,” two cowboys decide to take a road marked “Henry’s” over others with such alluring titles as “Massage Parlor” and “Thongs.”
Rob Gregg, brand manager for Weinhard’s, said the campaign targets loyal Weinhard drinkers and young adult beer consumers.
“Our research shows that beer drinkers have a latent loyalty to Henry’s,” Gregg said. “We wanted to revive that loyalty and generate brand awareness of Henry Weinhard’s among new legal-drinking-age consumers.”
The spots will air in Portland, Ore., and Seattle during sports programs and late-night shows. The beer is brewed in the Northwest.
The work is the first significant ad support for the brand since 1997. Riney was the agency that originally built the brand from scratch.
Weinhard's Is Welcomed Back
