Coors Light Bowl Links Bar Promotion, iTunes App

Patrons can play the "Coors Light 1st and Cold" game in bars, then hone their skills with a free iTunes version.

In an innovative approach to bridging the gap between live experiences and ongoing engagement, MillerCoors is integrating in-bar and smartphone promotional elements into a campaign centered on Super Bowl XLIV.

Launched on premises around the country on Dec. 26, the "Coors Light 1st and Cold" campaign uses an iPhone football game developed by agency FullHouse that challenges players to score as many touchdowns from mid-field as they can within two minutes. Players can tap the mobile screen to pass, tilt it to run the ball carrier down field or swipe the screen with a finger to attempt a field goal kick.

During the 44 days from the launch to the kickoff for Super Bowl XLIV (that's 44 to non-Romans), brand ambassadors will be visiting bars and happy hours in selected U.S. cities carrying iPhones and offering patrons the chance to compete against one another for bragging rights and Coors Light prizes.

Players are also made aware that they can continue to play the game by downloading it for free from the iTunes store to their iPhone or iTouch mobile device. Those who do will be able to see others players' scores posted to the leaderboard and can post their own best scores to their Facebook profile page.

The on-premise game carries branding from Coors Light, the National Football League and the Super Bowl.

MillerCoors brand manager Kedric George said that while the company has worked with FullHouse in the past on activations that involved interactive games, those previous campaigns used wireless tablet computers. This is the first campaign to take advantage of the iPhone/iTouch customizable device, which has penetrated deep into the 21 to 34 demographic that Coors is targeting with the campaign.

"We've always been trying to connect with our guys in on-premise [campaigns] with things that are relevant to them," George said. "We know that they love NFL football, connecting with their friends in the on-premise, and Coors Light. Combining all those things in the on-premise and then allowing them to have some fun outside that environment with the same game just seemed to be a no-brainer to us."

"The iTunes platform has been embraced by consumers as new and different, and it's a product that many aspire to have if they don't already have it," said Micah Eberman, group director for experiential marketing at FullHouse. "It's just so easy to use right away. When we're designing experiences, particularly those that involve gaming, we want them to be easy to play but difficult to master. Anybody can play, but the challenge comes in beating the computer and coming up with the right strategy to get the highest score possible."