‘It’s Miller Time’ for Chuck Studios as It Launches First Global Beer Culinary Identity

Global food-specialist creative production company, Chuck Studios, has unveiled its new global beer Culinary Identity for the Molson Coors brand Miller Genuine Draft (MGD) - a first for the Amsterdam-headquartered business.

Chuck Studios created an engaging set of brand assets that visually differentiates the Miller brand from other beers, by drawing inspiration from the beats of urban high energy bars and clubs that the beer is enjoyed in. 

‘A Culinary Identity is a set of rules for the food, or in this case beer, that become proprietary to the brand and makes the product look distinctive,’ says Chuck Studios co-founder and global creative director Olaf van Gerwen. ‘We make the beer look unique and create consistency by looking at the DNA of the brand and then bring that to life. For Miller, we nailed down that identity for their products in the same way designers build visual identities and music agencies develop sonic identities.’

Rebecca Mutty, senior international brand manager at Miller, explains that their new Culinary Identity will shake up the competitive category that is filled with traditional depictions of beer swirling when poured. It makes the liquid look refreshing and appealing but lacks distinctiveness in a congested category. 

"That is why we joined forces with Chuck Studios," says Mutty. "They have the unique talent to depict the product in a way that makes for visuals that are not just crave-inducing, but also disruptive and more ownable to Miller. The Culinary Identity work comes with clear execution guidelines to showcase our refreshingly smooth liquid in a way that truly stands out and represents the bold, urban heartbeat of our brand"

To capture this brand essence, Chuck Studios leaned into the concept of music and sound. 

"We discovered that the music that our audience listens to, particularly the bass, creates fascinating patterns or sound waves in the beer," continues van Gerwen. "As the music hits the liquid, it causes vibrations that ripple through the beer in unique and mesmerising patterns which we timed to always be in sync with the tempo of the music."

Chuck Studios' Special Effects (SFX) Lab created this effect by developing proprietary technology involving speakers, pneumatics, butt kickers, massage guns, and other unconventional equipment. A complex calculation was then performed to associate frequencies with camera speeds, which enabled synchronisation of the beer movement with the music's beats per minute (BPM). “It’s all real: just sound and beer. It’s all analog physics, no CGI or AI involved,” says van Gerwen.

The next challenge was to make pack shots that look just as dynamic as the product. Miller’s beer is for parties, so why keep its bottles static? The SFX department also developed technology to make bottles on a surface dance in sync with the music

In addition, a playbook was developed to implement the Culinary Identity in global markets. The team at Chuck Studios clearly laid down all choices that were relevant in codifying how Miller looks: Miller bottles never appear alone, because the brand is about socialising, one of which is not full and the caps are off, because Miller is meant for drinking. The use of colour, lighting, condensation and many more variables were also treated.

Finally, Chuck Studios upgraded an existing brand asset called ‘The Beacon’, by developing a series of bespoke camera filters. An optical engineer put translucent artefacts in glass sheets that scatter incoming light into the lens. This creates a signature Miller look and feel, by making highlights in the liquids appear like a beacon in brand colours.

Miller’s creative agency BBDO Zagreb integrated the Culinary Identity in two global brand campaigns. ‘Where’s your Miller Time’ is all about occasions and shows the beer enjoyed at parties, in apartments and in night clubs. ‘Takeover’ is a campaign with tech house DJ Hot Since 82 and friends taking over city nightlife. Chuck Studios made the product images in these campaigns do the talking and bring Miller’s purpose to life and are visible in all 18 global markets.

"If you don’t show it much love, beer tends to look like….beer. We set out to disrupt that tradition and break the book of beer rules. I’m proud to say what we have implemented is as fresh as the first sip from a cold bottle of Miller," concludes van Gerwen.