15 Jan 2020SpottedMiller's 'dry-ish' January lets Gen Yers indulge healthilySPOTTED: the insights behind the ads
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In time for Dry January, Miller is reviving its Miller64 beer as a low-alcohol alternative for people struggling to go cold turkey. With people using the New Year to reset after an indulgent December, the beer brand is helping them get healthier without having to give up booze altogether. We explore the insights behind this and why the beer-making brand is promoting a low-alcohol lifestyle.

Author
Louis TozerLouis Tozer is a senior behavioural analyst on the social sciences team at Canvas8. Trained as a social historian, he has a background in qualitative research, and after an early career spent at the Institute of Philosophy and Social Theory in Belgrade, he made the crossover into cultural insights. Outside of Canvas8, he can be found down the swimming pool, fixing his bike, or complaining to his friends.

With Dry January continuing to grow in popularity, millions have pledged to abstain from alcohol for a month – but not everyone feels equipped to make the change. In order to appeal to those still on the fence, Miller is bringing back its extra-light beer, Miller64, which contains only 64 calories and 2.8% ABV. At a time when half of Gen Yers who are aiming for a dry January are unsure if they can complete it, Miller is making it easier to cut down on booze by promoting the idea of a 'dry-ish' January.

“The new campaign aims to inspire consumers to enjoy life’s happy-medium moments,” says Anup Shah, VP of the Miller family of brands. “Because why go completely dry when you could go dry-ish?” Continuing the theme of maintaining the middle ground between binging and abstinence, Miller aims to partner with social media influencers to promote a dry-ish January starter kit, featuring a calendar with motivational quotes like “Don’t go big. Don’t go home either.

Miller64 | Moist

In December 2018, 21% of Americans said they intended to participate in Dry January 2019. However, another 21% said they didn’t intend to participate, even though they agreed that it’s a good idea – suggesting that they considered it too difficult. By meeting people in the middle and making it easy to reduce their alcohol intake without having to sacrifice indulgence, Miller is hoping to nudge healthier drinking habits and make people’s New Year goals more attainable. And, with Nielsen reporting that 47% of American adults (and 66% of US Gen Yers) tried to reduce their alcohol intake in 2019, the desire for low-alcohol, low-calorie options is likely to continue to grow.

Beer sales in America fell for five years straight until 2018 as Gen Zers and Yers drank less and competitors such as White Claw, a low-calorie hard seltzer that was the drink of summer 2019, vied for people's attention. As a result, brands like Miller are having to position beer in ways that appeal to increasingly health-conscious consumers. Sierra Nevada-owned Sufferfest is a beer doing just this, claiming to boost the results of exercise by replenishing lost electrolytes and assisting in muscle recovery after a workout.

Louis Tozer is a Behavioural Analyst of Social Sciences at Canvas8. He holds a M.A. in History from UCL School of Slavonic and East European Studies and is a former Research Assistant at The Institute of Philosophy and Social Theory in Belgrade. He can often be found in the pub with friends or at Roots Hall, the home of Southend United.