In beer, football sponsorships are nothing new. Most brands have a presence and historically they rely on borrowed team equities; tapping into the athletes to activate their connection to a team. Miller’s NFL activation had fallen into the same traps as the competition, building the teams and athletes’ brands, but not their own. And although the NFL is Miller Lite’s biggest sponsorship, it wasn’t standing out in-store, or at the tailgate.
This season, Miller Lite wanted to do something different. To play a more meaningful role, they needed to go beyond logo-badging to truly connect to the game’s culture. Football is nothing without the fans after all, and Miller Lite wanted to tap into, and salute, their passion for the game.
So, to celebrate the 2021-2022 football season, we partnered with Miller Lite to launch this limited-edition packaging to celebrate the beer brands sponsorship of select teams within the National Football League.
As a brand that champions “come as you are connections”, we knew Miller Lite needed to tap into the authentic fan—looking no further than the people sitting in the NFL stands for inspiration; the chants they sing, the clothes they wear, the passion they express, and the connections they make with each other through the experience of watching the game.
To do this, we dressed Miller Lite’s pack like a passionate football fan. Using the distinct team typography to bring the local rally cries to life, the packaging depicts mega-fans in all their glory. By wrapping their packs in the team colors, Miller Lite embraces the commitment of a true fan – visually capturing this passion, whilst also respecting the heritage of the brand, and ensuring we showcased Miller Lite’s commitment to the game – and ultimately, to the fans.
