Why Miller Lite sent a barge loaded with beer to Miami

When the Scotland men’s national soccer team started its first World Cup campaign in almost three decades just outside of Boston, the biggest story wasn’t taking place on the pitch. Instead, it was taking place at pubs around the city, where the Tartan Army—aka fans of the Scottish team—were drinking the kegs dry.

So when the team headed to Miami for its third game of the group stage on June 24, Miller Lite was ready.

The Molson Coors–owned brand sent a barge stocked with cases of beer to a port in Miami the day before the match as a way to celebrate the Tartan Army and try to generate some organic conversation and boost brand consideration, Courtney Benedict, VP of marketing for the Miller Lite family of brands, told Marketing Brew. Since Miller Lite isn’t an official FIFA sponsor, but still strives to “be in the mix where drinkers are,” Benedict and her team had to get creative.

“We, and much of the world, were watching as situations were unfolding in Boston, and Boston learned a very valuable lesson about perhaps never underestimating the thirst of Scotland’s Tartan Army,” she said. “Everywhere I looked, I was seeing coverage about their energy, their sense of community, the fun that they’re having, and, of course, how beer is a part of that experience.”

Barging in

All the buzz around Scotland fans’ love of beer ahead of the national team’s Miami matchup against Brazil—coupled with the fact that Miami is a significant market for the Miller Lite business, according to Benedict—presented an ideal opportunity for the brand to get in on the World Cup action.

The Miller Lite marketers got to thinking about how Miami is situated on the water, which “let us be really creative with how we were going to try to potentially preemptively solve for this issue that was happening in Boston,” Benedict said. The idea for the barge hit her desk on a Thursday night, she said, and it was afloat by the following Tuesday.

It was no light lift. Her team needed to get access to a barge, get it branded, acquire permits, and, of course, stock it with beer—plus hire some good bagpipers to boot, Benedict told us. Along with the musicians, her team invited influencers, brand ambassadors, and local Scotland fans aboard, including Scottish artist and former pro soccer player Craig Black, who created artwork live from the barge.

Tapping in

Benedict didn’t know exactly how much beer made it on and off the barge as of the day after the game, but it was certainly a lot, she said. Her teammates on the ground were sending pictures of themselves loading the barge with Miller Lite distribution partners, and it didn’t look easy in the summer heat, she added.

To stay “true to the idea” of stocking the city with beer as opposed to simply setting up a stunt, the brews largely came from Miller Lite distributors outside of Miami, and was then handed off to local haunts.

In addition to supplying enough beer to satiate the Scots, Benedict said the goals were to drive earned media, organic social buzz and engagement, and, “ultimately, brand consideration and broader business impact.” Though it was too early to see full results, she said initial social listening has proven positive.

“People were laughing at it,” Benedict said. “It was like we were in on the joke with them, whether it was Scottish fans, people in the Miami area, or just people observing the situation from afar…I think there’s a lot of humor and fun that people are having with it.”

Some social users also commented about brand love, one of Benedict’s KPIs. “Miller Lite is for the people,” one Instagram commenter wrote. “Makes me love Miller Lite even more,” another added. “You understand the assignment,” another said.

Though Scotland has since been eliminated from World Cup contention, Benedict said her team was “considering next steps,” so it’s possible another host city may receive a surprise shipment—by land or by sea—in the coming weeks. But with the Tartan Army out (for now), if Miller Lite does deliver again, the activation will look different.

“When you’re welcoming these unforgettable Tartan Army fans, subtlety didn’t feel like the best approach,” Benedict said. “We built this barge to celebrate these specific fans, and in the end, we love that they took it, gave it a personality of its own, and it’s been generating exactly the type of reaction we were hoping for.”