Brewdog are a controversial company and their decision to produce a decidedly “un-craft” lager, as the UK’s largest producer of “craft” beer, was something I found interesting. The branding and design aesthetic of the can borrowed a lot from US macro-beer staples as well as from Americana in general and the name immediately reminded me of Coors Lights long term messaging regarding the “coldness” of their product. This piece is an exploration of “coldness” as a marketing tool, the emergence of Americana as a popular aesthetic and an interview with the owner of Duration Brewing, a small-scale craft brewery with significant ties to the US. Below is an excerpt from the article as well as a link to read the piece in full on SubStack.
COORS LIGHT HAS LONG BEEN MALIGNED. “COORS LIGHT IS LIKE HAVING SEX IN A ROWBOAT, IT’S FUCKING CLOSE TO WATER.” SO, WHAT DROVE THE BIGGEST NAME IN UK CRAFT BEER, LIKE IT OR NOT, BREWDOG TO LOOK TO THIS DECIDEDLY UN-CRAFT BEER FOR BRANDING INSPIRATION?
BREWDOG RECENTLY RELEASED COLD BEER, AN UNCOMPLICATED NAME FOR WHAT IS AN UNCOMPLICATED BEER. A NAME THAT IMMEDIATELY BRINGS TO MIND COORS LIGHT’S LONG STANDING BRANDING OBSESSION WITH JUST HOW COLD THEIR BEER IS, WHICH WHEN ONE REALLY CONSIDERS IT, IS RIDICULOUS. THE MOST INFAMOUS ASPECT OF THIS BRANDING IS THE FACT THAT WHEN THE BOTTLE OR CAN HAS REACHED ADEQUATE LEVELS OF FRIGIDITY, THE MOUNTAINS TURN BLUE: BECAUSE WE CAN’T BE TRUSTED TO KNOW IF SOMETHING IS COLD, THEY HAVE A COLOUR CODED SENSORY EXPERIENCE FOR US. FURTHERMORE, THE TEMPERATURE OF A CAN OR BOTTLE IS TOTALLY OUT OF THE CONTROL OF COORS AFTER THE PRODUCT LEAVES THE BREWERY.
AS RIDICULOUS AS THIS BRANDING MAY SEEM, IT’S CLEARLY EFFECTIVE. BRUCE WINTERTON, FORMER MARKETING EXECUTIVE FOR MILLER (A KEY COMPETITOR OF COORS IN THE AMERICAN LIGHT BEER COLISEUM) TOLD WILL BURNS OF FORBES REGARDING THIS VERY TOPIC, “[MILLER] BECAME A TOP 5 BRAND IN THE 80’S USING COLD AS ITS PRIMARY POSITIONING…IT WAS VERY EFFECTIVE. IN THE 90’S WE ABANDONED THAT SPACE TO BATTLE MICROBREWS HEAD-ON, TO ONLY MODERATE SUCCESS…[MILLER] WOULD KILL FOR COORS LIGHT’S POSITIONING TODAY.” COLD IS CLEARLY A HOT PIECE OF BRANDING. BREWDOG’S PROMOTION DOUBLES DOWN ON THIS USING DIRECT COPY: “I’D KILL FOR A COLD BEER,” BRINGING THE CONSUMER INSIGHT THROUGH AS THE KEY BRAND MESSAGE.