2009 PRO Awards: Miller High Life Extras

Agency: Upshot
Client: MillerCoors

Miller High Life shirts and gear were considered cool to wear and people wearing them were everywhere MillerCoors looked, but the sales volume didn’t equal the apparel volume. To get customers to “drink the beer, and then get the gear,” the High Life Extras program was born.

The points-based program allowed members of legal drinking age to earn rewards for purchasing specially marked packages of Miller High Life or High Life Light. The campaign targeted consumers at supermarkets, liquor stores and c-stores. To join, consumers logged on to millerhighlife.com, registered and entered their in-pack code. A 12-pack was worth 120 points, a 30-pack 300 points. eCards featuring Wendell — the High Life delivery man — dancing could be used by members to invite their friends to enroll in the program. Merchandise was refreshed three times a year and grew significantly in variety.

At the time of application submission, the program had 150,000 members. More than 118,000 rewards were redeemed and 13,000 ecards were sent. Overall, Miller High Life sales increased 1.7% in 2008 in a category Miller says is declining 5%.