How Coors Light turned a broken digital ad into a viral sports marketing moment

This year, Coors and independent creative agency Rethink are being honored for their success in creating a viral moment at speed – and a new kind of sports sponsorship – all from a broken out-of-home ad.

In the crowded field of sports marketing, brands often spend millions for the chance to stand out. But in the summer of 2023, Coors Light found itself in a unique position: with the opportunity to create an off-the-cuff sports marketing moment that required no paid media spend or big check to secure an endorsement.

In fact, the moment that sparked one of the brand’s most memorable campaigns was completely unplanned. In late August of last year, a foul ball from baseball superstar Shohei Ohtani – who then played for the Los Angeles Angels – knocked out a pixel in the brand’s LED-lit ad at Citi Field. The result was an image of a signature silver Coors Light can – with a black box hovering above the brand logo.

Where some brands might have seen an embarrassment, Coors Light and its agency, Rethink, saw opportunity. What followed was the birth of the ‘Lights Out’ campaign, a study in quick thinking and creative agility that turned a fleeting moment into a viral sensation.

Seizing a knockout moment

Coors and Rethink wasted little time in jumping on the opportunity. “Shohei gave us rocket fuel by breaking the ad. We just needed a spark,” says Rethink’s global chief creative officer Aaron Starkman. “When something culturally relevant happens that fits with your brand in a meaningful way, and it’s something the brand can capitalize on, it’s good to go for it.”

The team decided to focus primarily on the imagery of the moment – the broken pixels. Instead of putting Ohtani at the center of a campaign push, the black square became the centerpiece of a campaign that embraced imperfection. “Shohei’s foul ball, and the attention it initially received, just helped us avoid an expensive media push,” explains Starkman.

It was an unusual approach. Where many brands may have tried to downplay the incident, especially without a formal endorsement from Ohtani, Coors Light chose a different route. With an adaptable, quick approach, the image of a black square-adorned Coors Light can quickly flooded social media feeds and appeared on billboards and on digital ads around Angel Stadium. And within 48 hours, Rethink had designed and launched a special-edition Coors Light can, featuring a black square where the pixels had gone out in the Citi Field ad.

For Rethink, the quick reaction to the moment fit naturally into the agency’s philosophy. “At Rethink, we believe in the ‘go then grow’ approach, where we put out something simple that encapsulates the ‘big thought’, like a social post, and if it takes off, we start to grow the idea with multiple executions in various mediums.” In short, he explains, “Consumers tell us everything we need to know in real time in terms of further development.”

The simplicity of the idea made it easy for Molson Coors to greenlight further executions without extensive research or drawn-out decision-making. Operationally, the key was avoiding long meetings, according to Starkman. “This entire campaign happened because Molson Coors and Rethink acted as one team,” he said. The teams communicated primarily through phone calls, group texts, and Slack messages, allowing them to move at the speed needed to capture the viral wave.

Turning a black square into a global phenomenon

The unconventional approach paid off in spades. The limited-edition cans sold out online in less than 24 hours. Fans in both the U.S. and Japan – Ohtani’s home country – embraced the campaign, adding black squares to their own Coors Light cans and merchandise when the special cans sold out. Even the original broken panel itself became a piece of memorabilia, auctioning off online for more than $7,000. Meanwhile, social media mentions of the campaign reflected 100% positive sentiment.

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