Dive Brief:

• Miller High Life is running a contest for couples whose weddings have been disrupted by the coronavirus, according to details the MillerCoors company shared with Marketing Dive.
• The beer company is offering three engaged couples the chance to win a "Wedding at Your Doorstep." The prize includes an officiant, a photographer, beer as well as $10,000 towards a future honeymoon and cancelled wedding costs.
• Consumers can enter by writing a short statement (150 words or less) explaining how their wedding plans for 2020 have changed due to the pandemic, as well as how they still plan to celebrate with Miller High Life. Contestants can email their responses and a photo to [email protected] to enter.

Dive Insight:

Miller High Life is looking to connect with consumers whose weddings have been postponed or canceled due to the pandemic with a contest that could ease the disappointment and financial losses that some couples are facing as their celebrations are transformed by social distancing rules and stay-at-home measures.

Even though wedding parties are canceled, the contest offers Miller High Life an opportunity to stay top-of-mind​for couples and their friends as they continue to drinking beer and share wedding toasts while they are in lockdown. The email element of the campaign allows the brand to collect email addresses for future targeted marketing campaigns.

The contest is an example of how a growing number of brands are trying to boost spirits and win loyalty during the coronavirus pandemic by helping consumers find news ways to celebrate big occasions that have been canceled due to health crisis. Natural Light is hosting a virtual college commencement ceremony on Facebook Live to celebrate graduates around the world. Her Campus, a digital magazine for women in college, is also planning a virtual graduation ceremony complete with Procter & Gamble's Aussie Hair Care brand as sponsor.​​

The contest follows a similar effort from Busch Beer, a brand owned by MillerCoors competitor Anheuser-Busch​, in which the company is giving away a year's worth of free beer to a lucky couple that has had to cancel or postpone their wedding due to the coronavirus. The brand's spokesperson, Busch Guy, revealed the contest in a video post on social media. To enter, consumers share a photo of themselves on Twitter or Instagram with the caption explaining how they still plan to celebrate, with the hashtags #BuschWeddingGift and #Sweepstakes.