{"id":21737,"date":"2022-12-07T19:34:43","date_gmt":"2022-12-07T19:34:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mailinvest.blog\/index.php\/2022\/12\/07\/miller-high-life-drops-leg-lamp-beer-tower-for-the-holidays\/"},"modified":"2022-12-07T19:34:43","modified_gmt":"2022-12-07T19:34:43","slug":"miller-high-life-drops-leg-lamp-beer-tower-for-the-holidays","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mailinvest.blog\/index.php\/2022\/12\/07\/miller-high-life-drops-leg-lamp-beer-tower-for-the-holidays\/","title":{"rendered":"Miller High Life Drops Leg Lamp Beer Tower for the Holidays"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Miller High Life\u2019s holiday swag\u2014a leg lamp reminiscent of A Christmas Story\u2019s famously fish-netted prop\u2014has some big shoes to fill when it drops later this week.<\/p>\n

The festive item, modeled after the brand\u2019s Girl in the Moon mascot, follows last season\u2019s kitschy piece of decor: a suds-infused gingerbread dive bar<\/a> that sold out in 2 minutes and became a viral superstar.<\/p>\n

As a twist on the movie\u2019s lovably tacky objet d\u2019art, the Leg Lamp Beer Tower launches Friday. It will be available in a limited quantity for buyers willing to shell out $120 for a tchotchke that could signify a \u201cmajor award\u201d but definitely dispenses a six pack\u2019s worth of brew.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s so indescribably beautiful you\u2019ll want to display it in your front room window\u201d where it will \u201cblaze in unparalleled glory,\u201d according to the brand.<\/p>\n

The product coincides with a few milestones: Miller High Life\u2019s 120th birthday, hence the price, and the debut of the nostalgia-laden family flick, A Christmas Story Christmas, though there\u2019s no official tie-in with the film.<\/p>\n

More than an Insta-worthy novelty<\/strong><\/h4>\n

In brainstorming and green-lighting the concept, marketing executives at Miller High Life aimed to match the success from 2021 or even outdo themselves with a new attention-grabbing, Instagram-worthy holiday novelty. That\u2019s no mean feat in a world stuffed with year-end stunts in the booze category and many others.<\/p>\n

With several choices from longtime agency partner ICF Next<\/a>, the brand started with the kind of questions it routinely asks about potential programs, according to Lucy Bloxam<\/a>, Miller High Life marketing manager.<\/p>\n

\u201cIs it approachable? Is it unpretentious?\u201d Bloxam told Adweek. \u201cDo you want to share it with your family and friends? Is it always a good time?\u201d<\/p>\n

And perhaps most critical: would the merchandise feel right at home in a dive bar?<\/p>\n

The Molson Coors<\/a>-owned brand devotes \u201ctime, effort and thoughtfulness\u201d to deciding its fourth quarter activation, Bloxam said, with a number of goals in mind, including gathering first-party data and amassing earned media.<\/p>\n

In a conversation with Adweek, Bloxam identified some key factors that helped put the Leg Lamp Beer Tower on the \u201cnice\u201d list:<\/p>\n

Will it expand the brand\u2019s reach?<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Miller High Life, also known as the \u201cChampagne of Beers,\u201d was founded in 1902, and some of its most ardent fans are older drinkers. While recognizing the core audience, there\u2019s an ongoing push to bring in the next generation, with marketers trying to reach men 25 to 34 years old.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis younger demo knows that Miller High Life exists because maybe their dad drank it,\u201d Bloxam said. \u201cThey may not know much more than that.\u201d<\/p>\n

The retro-cool Leg Lamp Beer Tower may end up in the homes of the die-hard loyalists. But it throws \u201ca halo\u201d over the brand, Bloxam said, potentially catching the eye of millennial men and prompting them to consider the legacy brand when they\u2019re at a neighborhood watering hole or liquor store.<\/p>\n

Is it culturally relevant?<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Like most brands, either emerging or heritage, Miller High Life wants to hone its storytelling chops. And there may be no better conversation starter than a leg lamp that stands nearly 3.5 feet tall and is, along with the Red Ryder BB gun, an evocative piece of movie memorabilia.<\/p>\n

Miller\u2019s product pays homage to its forerunner, which has been reproduced and knocked off for years, but adds its own touches. For instance, it\u2019s a low-heeled boot not a spiky stiletto, in keeping with the character<\/a> on the brand\u2019s bottles, and the leg wears modest tights instead of sexy stockings.<\/p>\n

Its shade, complete with fancy tassels, covers the beer receptacle, and suds flow from a conveniently placed tap. (Brew sold separately.)<\/p>\n

And in a nod to one of the best gags in the film, the lamp will ship in boxes stamped \u201cfragile,\u201d pronounced \u201cfra-gee-lay\u201d to those in the know.<\/p>\n

Does it punch above its weight?<\/strong>\u00a0<\/h4>\n

Execs wouldn\u2019t put a figure on the project\u2019s cost, but they said they keep a tight grip on marketing spend for the brand, in line with its blue-collar ethos. Like the dive bar ice cream<\/a> from last summer and other previous activations, the lamp was no exception.<\/p>\n

\u201cEvery dollar needs to work really hard,\u201d Bloxam said. \u201cWe like scrappy programs that are low-cost, high-impact.\u201d<\/p>\n

Bloxam wouldn\u2019t say how many lamps will be available, but she said the \u201cwhile supplies last\u201d sense of scarcity creates FOMO with consumers and concentrates the hype in a short window for maximum impact.<\/p>\n

The brand gives fans at least a few days\u2019 notice before the product drop, monitoring social media for response and engagement as a \u201clitmus test\u201d for anticipated earned media, Bloxam said. Meantime, the rest of the media plan kicks in with retail displays, field marketing, social and paid posts.<\/p>\n

While the brand is willing to experiment, marketers need to be \u201cfully confident\u201d in the idea, studying what has worked in the past and relying on their outside agency to advise on \u201cwhat has a lot of voltage.\u201d<\/p>\n

The lamp \u201cfelt like two classics coming together,\u201d Bloxam said. \u201cWe could put our own spin on it\u2014with the functionality of the beer tower\u2014and make it as ownable as possible for Miller High Life. In theory, no other brand could do a talk piece exactly like this.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n