Coors Brewing Company Reveals 2008 Advertising

Business Wire, April 8, 2008

Coors Light Shows Consumers Enjoying Its Newest Innovations - on TV and the Web; Coors Banquet and Molson Canadian Highlight Heritage and NASCAR Races Through the Mountains

GOLDEN, Colo. -- At its annual distributor convention in Denver, Coors Brewing Company unveiled its 2008 advertising campaigns for Coors Light, Keystone Light, Coors Banquet, and Molson Canadian. All ads include a logo for the company's new "You Hold the Key. Never Drive Drunk" campaign. In addition, Coors Light introduced a series of online efforts that shows beer drinkers enjoying its latest innovations. Creative work from Draftfcb-Chicago, Taxi New York, Avenue A Razorfish and the Integer Group was featured.

Coors Light continues its focus on delivering "The World's Most Refreshing Beer," with a series of ads that highlight innovations, including the new Vented Wide Mouth can and the popular Cold Activated Bottle.

To officially announce its position as the official beer of NASCAR, Coors Light also debuted an action-packed commercial that shows the NASCAR field racing through the snowy mountains, refreshing a group of Coors Light drinkers.

"Everything we communicate about Coors Light links back to refreshment as cold as the Rockies. Through our television ads and new online initiatives, we're clearly demonstrating how our innovations deliver 'The World's Most Refreshing Beer' to beer drinkers," said Andy England, chief marketing officer for Coors Brewing Company. "And, our NASCAR spot shows how we're combining cold refreshment with the nation's hottest sport."

In addition to the television spots, Coors Light unveiled an online campaign that shows how consumers are enjoying the brand's latest innovations, including the Vented Wide Mouth can. Later this year, Coors Light will give adult beer drinkers a way to plan their own "Coors Light Code Blue" social gatherings, where legal. The campaign will allow friends to connect online and pick a meeting time and location to enjoy a refreshing Coors Light. Coors Light Code Blue is a reference to the Cold Activated Bottle, which shows when beer is cold enough to drink.

Coors Banquet announces a new series of commercials featuring the voice of legendary actor Sam Elliott. In keeping with the theme of playing up its history, these commercials educate adult consumers about Coors Banquet's heritage, specifically how it got the nickname of "Coors Banquet."

Molson Canadian is also highlighting its long heritage, reminding U.S. beer drinkers that it originates from the oldest brewery in North America. John Molson, founder of the Molson Brewery, once said that "An honest brew makes its own friends." To that end, the television ads will feature the beautiful, pristine Canadian nature from which the beer originates.

Keystone Light introduces new executions from its successful "Always Smooth, Even When You're Not" campaign. In the humorous examples of awkward or "unsmooth" situations, the brand is featured as the one thing that can be counted on to be consistently smooth.

On St. Patrick's Day, George Killian Lett, the namesake for George Killian's Irish Red, toasted American beer drinkers and thanked them for continuing to support the beer based on his family's original recipe dating to 1873 in Enniscorthy, Ireland. George Killian's Irish Red will highlight that recipe and the slow-roasted caramelized malts that give it its authentic ruby red color with out-of-home and print advertising throughout the year.

"Coors Brewing Company is committed to making the best beer possible and communicating each brand's unique benefit through its marketing communications," said England. "Whether it's enjoying a refreshing Coors Light on a hot summer day or sharing pints of George Killian's Irish Red at a local pub, we have a portfolio that meets every beer-drinking occasion."

All of the television spots feature a new logo that supports the "You Hold the Key. Never Drive Drunk" campaign. This campaign reinforces to consumers that they hold the key to preventing drunk driving and reminds them to plan ahead, specifically by arranging safe rides home by cab, public transportation or designated driver.

The television spots are just one element of a complete mix of retail, out-of-home, radio, online and other marketing programs to support the brands in 2008. Following are summaries of some of the ads:

Coors Light

"Venting" Agency: Draftfcb, Chicago Tagline: "The World's Most Refreshing Beer" Summary: This spot supports Coors Light's newest innovation; the Vented Wide Mouth Can. The spot opens on a guy sitting on the couch with his girlfriend/fiance. While the girl is reading a bridal magazine, our guy receives a phone call from his friend Brad. When our guy is finished with his phone call he tells his girlfriend that his friend Brad really needs to "vent". She encourages him to go be with his friend for support. When our guy shows up at Brad's house we find out that "vent" is merely a code term for the Coors Light Vented Wide Mouth Cans.

"Code Blue" Agency: Draftfcb, Chicago Tagline: "The World's Most Refreshing Beer" Summary: This commercial opens in a neighborhood bar where a waitress slides a bucket of Coors Light bottles across the bar to our hero. Something about these bottles catches his eye and he makes an important call notifying his buddies of a "Code Blue." His call sets off a chain of events as his friends excitedly spread the word by phone and text messages. They abandon their various activities and leave people to wonder where they had suddenly rushed off to. The friends all rush into the bar with thirsty anticipation and ask "Code Blue?" The guy at the bar holds up a Coors Light Cold Activated bottle with the blue label and says "Code Blue!" We see a close up of the bottle and an announcer says "The Cold Activated Bottle from Coors Light. The Mountains on the label turn blue when your beer is as cold as the Rockies".