Dive Brief:
- Coors Banquet, owned by Molson Coors, is the official beer partner of Paramount’s “Yellowstone” ahead of its fifth season, per a press release.
- From now until Jan. 1, viewers can enter via a landing page to win the “Live Like a Dutton” experience, with one winner being selected to visit a Montana ranch with three friends and go horseback riding, roping and enjoy family-style meals. Additionally, they will be outfitted with gear from western outfitter Seager.
- The partnership comes after the season four finale of “Yellowstone'' was the most-watched entertainment release telecast since 2017, bringing in more viewers than the football game also playing that night.
Dive Insight:
The choice of Coors Banquet for a “Yellowstone” collaboration comes at a time when the brand has seen significant growth despite declining beer consumption among the general consumer population. In its third quarter earnings report, Molson Coors announced Coors Banquet combined with sister brands Miller Lite and Coors Light grew over a share point in the premium beer category. Coors Banquet also saw growth in brand volume.
The integration with the Kevin Costner-led cowboy drama will see activations across retail, ecommerce and out-of-home advertising throughout the end of the year. In addition to “Yellowstone,” the brewer, which operates out of Colorado, partnered with Seager for an apparel and equipment collaboration that further cements the brewer’s western ties.
"Since Coors Banquet was born and brewed in the West, fans of the show enjoy the seamless integration of this beloved beer — it just works,” said Marcelo Pascoa, vice president of marketing for the Coors family of brands in a press statement.
“Yellowstone” is not Coors Banquet’s first television success. The brew is also featured heavily in the Netflix series “Cobra Kai.” Coors Banquet is the drink of choice for the hard-drinking, crass Karate sensei Johnny Lawrence, played by actor William Zabka. According to Molson Coors, the brand did not seek out a presence on the show. Still, after season three’s January 2021 debut, volume sales grew by more than 5% and dollar sales by 6.6%. Strong purchasing growth was seen in consumers under the age of 35.
Product placement has become an increasingly valuable tool for brands as viewer fragmentation increases. Even on platforms with few or limited ads, product placement allows marketers to reach those audiences. Tie-ups such as that between Netflix series “Stranger Things” and Coca-Cola have proven to provide significant attention.
