Though Miller Brewing Co.’s flagship brand Lite is getting the attention these days from the marketing folks in Milwaukee, the brewer is moving ahead with a new campaign in key markets for its struggling Genuine Draft brand.
New ads popped up last weekend on sports programming in Chicago and other key markets that equate “Pure MGD” with finding that right moment, or more importantly when it comes to the bar scene, that right guy or girl.
More interesting, perhaps, is the advertising agency responsible for it. Though J. Walter Thompson is still, officially, the agency of record on the brand, the new campaign is from Ogilvy & Mather, Chicago, which was brought in earlier this year by the brewer to develop ideas.
Ogilvy referred calls to the client.
A spokesman said the company is sticking to its plan of using work from both agencies, but it is going forward with the O&M campaign right now.
Gone are the overt sexual overtones of former executions that seemed almost incongruous with the “Pure” positioning of the brand. Think of it as a twist on the Goldilocks and the three bears story.
In one of the TV spots, a man enters a chic-looking bar looking at the women sitting inside. As he looks at each woman, a word that reflects what he thinks of her appears over her head. “High maintenance” pops over the head of one. A bubbly blond gets nixed as a “Chatter box.” Another one is labeled “Man-eater.” Finally he comes to the woman he thinks is just right, and the word “Yes” pops over her head.
Another version shows a woman walking through the bar in the same scenario. Among her impressions of the men she encounters: “Married” and “Poser.”
“Filter out everything you don’t need,” the voice-over says. “Keep what’s good. That’s cold-filtering. That’s pure MGD.”
The new campaign, which will run in MGD’s top dozen or so markets, comes as Miller CEO John Bowlin last month vowed to refocus the company’s energy on fixing Miller Lite. He said the firm would pull back on national advertising spending on Genuine Draft and reallocate advertising dollars for the brand in key markets.
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Supermarket case sales are down about 1.8 percent for Genuine Draft in the most recent 52-week period tracked by Information Resources Inc. Sales are flat, at roughly $242.4 million.
Either way, the news is good for O&M, Chicago, whose creative chief, Joe Sciarrotta, has been eager to get back in the beer business. He formerly worked on Bud Light at DDB Chicago and Miller business at Leap Partnership.
Fresh work: Midwest advertising agencies have faced a dreadful year when it comes to new accounts, but two shops on Thursday picked up business in what may be a late-year rally.
Cramer-Krasselt, Milwaukee, beat several West Coast creative shops to win San Diego-based WD-40, worth roughly $4 million in billings.
Separately, Element 79 Partners, which has been on the hunt for a new business win beyond its PepsiCo business, picked up the $10 million Supercuts business. Owned by Redo Corp., Supercuts is the biggest value-priced haircut chain with 1,790 locations.
Garfinkel to leave Publicis: Highly touted New York creative Lee Garfinkel took a pass on being named chief creative of Publicis Worldwide. The former top creative of the now-shuttered D’Arcy Masius Benton & Bowles isn’t talking about his plans. Prior to DMB&B, Garfinkel had been eyed by Leo Burnett USA, though Garfinkel at that time didn’t want to move to Chicago from New York.
FCB layoffs: Sources say Foote, Cone & Belding, Chicago, cut roughly 10 jobs over the past couple of weeks across several departments.
On the move: Bob Schmetterer, chairman and CEO of Euro RSCG Worldwide, adds the title of president and COO of Euro parent Havas. Schmetterer and Havas chairman and CEO, Alain de Pouzilhac, will run a new “office of the CEO.’ … David Bullard, formerly the marketing director of Raynor, joins Marketing Support Inc. as vice president/account supervisor on the company’s Skil/Bosch business.
Account action: Edelman, which works with the Puerto Rican government on tourism projects, said it has been retained by the government for a public relations project supporting the Rums of Puerto Rico marketing campaign. The Rums of Puerto Rico campaign includes the Bacardi, Captain Morgan, Ron Rico and Don Q brands.