Dive Brief:

• Coors Light is giving away up to $1 million of beer in a new social media contest that aims to boost morale among Americans in lockdown, the company announced Tuesday.
• The #CouldUseABeer effort is part of a larger campaign by the Molson Coors brand​. A 45-second anthem spot and shorter 15-second clip discuss the tough times that American has weathered, such as the Revolutionary War and the Great Depression. Actor Paul Giamatti voices the ads, which will appear on primetime TV and on social channels. The campaign includes a Twitter element that lets people virtually send a round of brews to a friend, as well as encouraging home chefs to bake Coors Light-infused recipes.
• Meanwhile, Coors is hosting a virtual happy hour with college football analyst Kirk Herbstreit and player Patrick Mahomes. The brand also debuted a new line of sweatshirts and sweatpants that feature a variety of campaign hashtags about chilling at home. Profits from the merchandise will benefit financial relief efforts to those impacted by the coronavirus pandemic.

Dive Insight:

With an extensive campaign, Coors Light is looking to give consumers a glimpse of hope and positivity while they're stuck at home. The new America #CouldUseABeer ads illustrate the history of hardships the country has faced, while stating that sharing a beer has made the hard times better. Giamatti's tone in the spots is humorous yet sensitive to the fact that beer won't fix the current pandemic. The hopeful message may appeal to the brand's target demographic that's likely to respond well to positive messaging.

The campaign incorporates a number of social media elements to drive engagement among loyal Coors Light fans as well. People can enter to win free beer, send their friends a round and attend a virtual happy hour with NFL personalities. This provides consumers with a slate of entertainment choices at a time when many are looking for ways to stay busy at home and are hungry for sports-related content amid the mass cancellation of live events.

The effort follows Coors' ongoing "Made to Chill" campaign targeting millennials that debuted last summer. That initiative included spots promoting moments that aren't typical times to drink a beer, pitching Coors Light as the "official beer of being done wearing a bra," the "official beer of drinking in the shower" and, in a Spanish language clip, the "official beer of Saturday morning."

Coors Light had planned an element of the campaign to promote the "Official Beer of 'Working' Remotely" around March Madness. However, it pivoted to product-focused marketing to avoid coming off as tone deaf at a time when many people were starting to work from home as part of pandemic lockdowns.

Coors Light's latest efforts to boost morale during tough times follow similar giveaways from Busch Beer and sister brand Miller High Life, both of which are dishing out funds and free beer to couples whose weddings have been affected by the pandemic.