Beer Gimmicks

As I was driving home today I was listening to the radio and heard a Coors Light commercial about how you can tell the beer is "Super Cold".  Also there are the labels that has the mountains turn blue to show that the beer is cold.  As well there is "triple hopped brewed", the "vortex necked bottle", and do not forget this classic the "extra wide mouth" for easier pouring.  All this leads me to ask, Do the big beer companies believe that beer drinkers are easily swayed by a marketing campaign?  Seems that for the majority of the beer drinkers the answer is yes.  Which is a sad statement.

Yes I do remember the great advertising campaigns of Lite beer from Miller, the taste great less filling debate.  Also the all to short run of the Swedish Bikini Team, now replaced by the "Miller Lite-guards".   Also in my college days it was the heyday of Spuds McKenzie.  Lest not I forget the Budweiser Frogs.  The big guys always have a very imaginative advertising agency in the wings to promote their beers and millions of dollars to push the campaign on tv, radio and print.

Where the craft and micro brewers do not have the budget nor the advertising agencies at their beckon call.  They rely on being different and the strengths of the imaginative people behind the beer.  Yes sometimes they do things that are a bit gimmicky but usually it is fun and quirky.  A few of the more imaginative craft brewers are Lagunitas, Founder's and Stone Brewing.  They let the beer drinker use their mind and wit to understand the true meaning of the beer that they are drinking.


Unfortunately there are more beer drinkers that are pulled in by some "unique" aspect of the mass produced beers, that is one reason they are so big.  Even they have begun to realize the allure of the "craft" beer segment, by starting their own "craft" brands, i.e. Plank Road Brewing, Blue Moon and etc.  Craft beer is here to stay and it is the quickest growing segment of the beer industry.

Keep drinking and be imaginative!

QC Beerguy