Miller High Life’s Common Sense Platform campaign will be interesting to follow. There are no inherent product qualities used in the work other than value. And if you go too heavy on the value message it can imply poor quality, which in the beer category means taste.
The Common Sense campaign follows a Miller delivery guy around while he puts forth his views on what constitutes common sense: fair price, sensible product, no fru-fru. Though the work is entertaining, it lacks brand ballast. Leveraging politics in a campaign year seems like a sensible tactic but Miller High Life has been so underfunded and invisible, I’m not sure this is a sustainable adverting idea for them. Sales are up 1%, but that is more the economy than the idea.
Were it my brand I’d create a uniquely today advertising idea that tied living the high life to the sharp, quenching taste of that amber brew seen through that beautiful, sweaty clear bottle and leave the politics to the politicians.
P.S. If you’d like to hear the world’s greatest beer campaign idea, for Miller Genuine Draft, shoot me an email at steve@whatstheidea.com.