Dive Brief:

• Miller Lite created a line of six luxury rings that will reward football fans with free beer for life when brought together, according to a news release. 
• Each ring in the Miller Timeless Collection is inlaid with 10-karat gold, topped with a variety of gems and constructed with a built-in sensor that can detect when another ring is nearby. When all six rings are assembled in one place, the owners have the chance to secure a "Beer for Life" digital prepaid card valued at $10,000. 
• The collection will be doled out through a contest on Instagram that runs through Oct. 25, and is supported by paid and owned social media elements, influencer marketing — including partnerships with two NFL stars — and traditional earned media relations. Through the effort, Miller Lite is acknowledging that friend groups bonded through football may have been separated last season due to the pandemic and wants to commemorate game day crews getting back together. 

Dive Insight:

Miller Lite is heralding the return of in-person football viewing with the tongue-in-cheek Miller Timeless Collection featuring computer chips that recognize when all six rings have been reunited. The rings' design is based on a Miller Lite can, and includes garnets, sapphires, lab-grown diamonds and text engravings that read, "MILLER TIME!!!." The beer brand is marketing the tech-enabled fine jewelry line with an ad that makes lofty appeals to the power of reassembling the game day crew, depicting a group of friends hosting a dreamy watch party on a sun-dappled beach.

"You can search the ends of the Earth and never find a bond so pure," a voiceover reads. 

The campaign, which pokes fun at highfalutin jewelry marketing and recalls "The Lord of the Rings," could help Miller Lite capture some of the fan energy around the return of professional football. The Molson Coors label is shut out of NFL advertising because rival AB InBev is the official sponsor of the league, but social media and digital channels offer other avenues for engagement.

In order to secure the one-of-a-kind rings, friend groups must follow Miller Lite on Instagram and post a photo with a caption explaining why they are deserving of the recognition while tagging the brand and including the hashtags #MillerTimelessCollection and #Contest. The marketer has also partnered with professional football siblings Kyle Long and Chris Long, the latter of whom is retired, to show off the gear in promotional materials.

Miller Lite championing the return of in-person gatherings comes as the NFL sees a solid ratings boost in the early run of the regular season. Stadiums opening back up to capacity has potentially helped spark more excitement around games and broadcasts, creating opportunities for marketers that may have been more cautious last year when COVID-19 vaccines weren't widely available.  

Other marketers are taking a similar tack to Miller Lite, looking to balance an eagerness to meet up again with ongoing safety considerations. As part of its "Made for Football Watching" platform, Pepsi — which is an NFL sponsor — is running ads that encourage people to stay inside and binge games even as other activities call with the lifting of pandemic restrictions. The spots star "Billions" actor David Costabile, who gives a rousing speech about the power of game day viewing, while Pepsi also created a capsule collection of loungewear with the designer Dapper Dan.