How Blue Moon Is Making Life – and Its Advertising – Brighter
Back in April, Blue Moon, part of the Molson Coors Beverage Company, launched a brand campaign with adam&eveDDB. It built on the brand's 'Made Brighter' platform, which launched in 2022 in retail sites but had yet to be flexed in more far-reaching communications. The launch also coincided with refreshed packaging.
The campaign's central film employed fun visual cues to demonstrate how Blue Moon brings pops of brightness to the mundanity of our everyday grind. Those cues were executed in typically vibrant style from Reset Content's Us.
To find out more about why the time was right for a wide scale brand reset and how it is set to inform Blue Moon activities over the coming months, LBB's Addison Capper chatted with Courtney Benedict, vice president of marketing for above premium beer at Molson Coors Beverage Company, and James Rowe, managing director at adam&eveDDB NY.
LBB> Made Brighter is a new platform for communications for Blue Moon. Why was this change necessary? Why did you feel the need for a revamp?
Courtney> At its core, Made Brighter is consumer-inspired language. Over and over our drinkers tell us that we actually make their lives feel brighter. We’d been leveraging the language at retail and in static media, but we identified an opportunity to extend it into our communications as well. And importantly, the time to bring it to life in a bigger way is now as the Blue Moon Brewing Company has a number of exciting initiatives in the works. From refreshed packaging, to the launch of Blue Moon Non-Alcoholic, to the relaunch of our beloved Blue Moon Light, it felt like the right time to unify everything under one platform. Blue Moon aims to make beer-drinking moments feel brighter and create a world that adds brightness to everyday, ordinary moments.
LBB> What kind of research and key findings informed the Made Brighter strategy?
Courtney> When talking to our drinkers, there are a few key messages that stand out. Something we couldn’t help but notice was the notion that Blue Moon brings a touch of brightness to their day… how cool is that? It’s why we exist – to champion a brighter world – so it just made sense for our campaign platform to be anchored in that truth.
LBB> How would you describe Made Brighter? What do you want to get across as a brand with it?
Courtney> Made Brighter is a promise to drinkers to get the most out of their beer. Blue Moon is crafted better, to make you feel brighter. It connects back to the signature brightness of our beloved Belgian-style wheat ale that is widely known for its Valencia orange peel and coriander flavours.
James> It’s an emotional platform at its core, one that speaks to both the way our beer is made and the way it makes consumers feel. When we got into bars, and spoke to consumers, they all said that Blue Moon has this unique way of pulling them out of their usual routine and providing a jolt into a brighter, more fun and enjoyable moment.
LBB> The new campaign and brand platform "seeks to connect the brand with everyday social drinkers, while also aiming to re-establish Blue Moon as a modern craft brand for all". Can you speak a bit more about this aim please? How tricky is this line to tow? Or is it becoming a bit easier – and makes more sense – as more casual palettes are becoming more adventurous and 'craft' beers more mainstream?
Courtney> Blue Moon holds a unique position at the intersection of craft and other above premium beer – and is beloved by a variety of drinkers. As the largest craft brand in the country, we have undeniable roots in that space, but Blue Moon has presence in occasions that aren’t strictly dominated by craft as well. For example, we know that people, who may not necessarily be craft drinkers, love to pair their meals with Blue Moon. We also know that we capture the ‘craft curious’ drinker as well. So as a family of brands, we strive to speak to each of our drinkers, no matter the reason they reach for us.
LBB> James, you actually said that the "craft beer category is going through something of an identity crisis". As a bit of a beer nerd, I'd love for you to elaborate on this please.
James> I think the craft category has exploded, and as a result we’ve seen two things happen. On one hand, craft brands are really trying to stand out by creating weird and wonderful brews that capture hard-core craft drinkers' imaginations, appealing to their sense of exploration. On the other, we’re seeing craft brands trying to appeal to mainstream drinkers more, with more traditional styles like pilsners, lagers, and light beers; all to attract new drinkers and retain those looking for lighter, more sessionable styles. As a result, the craft category has expanded, and become more confusing for consumers, with our research showing that there’s a real sense of craft blindness for many. So, for Blue Moon, it meant really working hard to remind drinkers of our uniqueness, our bright-tasting beer with an aroma that’s unlike any other, and our iconic garnish that stands out in bars. The strategy aimed to put Blue Moon in a category of one, to stand apart from traditional premium beers, and to prevent the brand being dragged into the clutter of the wider craft category.
LBB> Tell me more about the actual campaign. How did you set out to demonstrate your meaning of 'brighter'?
James> What we love about the Made Brighter platform is that it captures both the rational story of the brand and the emotional impact it has on consumers. This allows us to create simple yet hard-hitting product communications as well as bigger, bold brand communications, including spanning TVCs that show the literal brightening and transformation of a bar, to activations that make our consumers feel brighter, such as ‘Eclipse Sips’, and our ‘Black & Blue’ push over St Patrick’s Day which encouraged drinkers who don’t love the black stuff to try Guinness and Blue Moon – a brighter (and surprisingly delicious way) to celebrate St Paddy.
LBB> How will the Made Brighter platform develop over the course of the rest of 2024? What's in store for Blue Moon?
Courtney> Made Brighter will serve as the platform for the Blue Moon family of brands for 2024 and into the coming years. And, you’ll see it come to life at every touch point. This year has already been an exciting one for Blue Moon – from the launch of Blue Moon Non-Alcoholic just in time for Dry January, to the relaunch of Blue Moon Light, to the launch of our new packaging for the family of brands, we’re aiming to consistently deliver that signature brightness that Blue Moon is known for to our consumers.
