Miller Lite Taps Celebrities for Comeback (Video)

We brought you the new bottle and some of the highlights from the Miller Coors Distributors Convention today…and now a little more insight from AdAge on the strategy moving forward for Miller Lite:

The brewer is rolling out a plethora of Miller Lite ads starring celebrities and a major movie tie-in as the brand seeks a comeback with its "Miller Time" campaign and new packaging. But Lite is taking a more measured approach with its celebs compared with other big beverage brands, which have tapped A-listers while giving them marketing titles, such as "creative director." For instance, Bud Light Platinum recently made Mr. Timberlake its "creative, cultural and music curator," while Diet Coke has made Taylor Swift a "program ambassador."

Lite is using celebs that might not be as well-known as Mr. Timberlake or Ms. Swift, but have what execs described as common-man cachet. And the brand is weaving in multiple celebs, rather than casting its lot with a single star. "Celebrities are challenging because the bigger the celebrity, the more it runs the risk of overshadowing what it is you are trying to do. It becomes an ad for the celebrity vs. an ad for your brand," Exec VP-Chief Marketing Officer Andy England told Ad Age, while previewing the brewer's 2013 marketing plans.

One Miller Lite ad envisions what it would be like to hang out with actor Ken Jeong, who will star in the upcoming "Hangover Part III" movie. In one bar scene in the ad, he self-mockingly says, "I'm that guy from that thing." Similar ads will show male drinkers hanging with mixed martial arts legend Chuck Liddell and music star Questlove. The spots are by Miller Lite lead agency Saatchi & Saatchi.