Dive Brief:
- Miller High Life is paying tribute to “A Christmas Story” with the release of a leg lamp reminiscent of the fishnet-adorned decor from the holiday classic, according to a press release. The piece will be on sale for $120 starting Dec. 9 while supplies last.
- The 35-pound leg lamp stands at over 3 feet tall and features Miller High Life branding throughout. It is battery-operated and includes a removable tasseled lampshade that reveals a vessel to pour beer into so it can double as a beer tower.
- The concept follows the November debut of “A Christmas Story Christmas” sequel on HBO Max and nods to Miller High Life’s 120th anniversary. The branded leg lamp aligns with other novelty products from parent Molson Coors and sees the brewer leaning into nostalgia as a seasonal marketing tactic.
Dive Insight:
“A Christmas Story” has become a holiday staple for many consumers since its 1983 release, in part due to 24-hour TBS marathons of the movie around Christmas. Replicas of a fishnet-wearing leg lamp won by the main character Ralphie’s dad as a “Major Award” in the film have become popular novelty items as result. Timed to the release of “A Christmas Story Christmas,” Miller High Life has re-envisioned the provocative decor in a way that could satisfy consumer cravings for nostalgia, while also appealing to younger drinkers in dive bar settings, as advertised.
Miller High Life’s leg lamp, aside from doubling as a beer tower, has several differences from the lamp featured in “A Christmas Story.” Instead of fishnets, the leg is meant to resemble the beer brand’s “Girl in the Moon” mascot, featuring red boots and red-and-yellow striped stockings. Additionally, Miller High Life’s “Major Award” is not won through a newspaper contest, but by purchasing the product online for $120, referencing the brand’s upcoming 120th anniversary. Like in the movie, the lamp comes in a box marked “fragile.”
The beer lamp, which reads “The champagne of beers” around the shade, follows the success of Miller High Life’s gingerbread dive bar kit, which sold out in less than two minutes last year. Such a novelty product is on-brand for Molson Coors, which has already gotten into the holiday spirit with other product releases and holiday merchandise. In a recent instance, Miller Lite in November created the Christmas Tree Keg Stand and brought back its refillable “beernaments” offering.
