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 quickly creating a viral moment — and a new type of sports sponsorship — all from an out-of-home ad.

In the crowded field of sports marketing, brands often spend millions to stand out. But in the summer of 2023, Coors Light found itself in a unique position with the opportunity to create an impromptu sports marketing moment that didn’t require any paid media spend or a big check to secure an endorsement.

In fact, the moment that kicked off one of the brand’s most memorable campaigns was completely unexpected. In late August last year, a foul ball by baseball superstar Shohei Ohtani – then playing for the Los Angeles Angels – knocked out an LED module in the brand’s advertising at Citi Field. The result was an image of a silver-colored Coors Light can, with a black box suspended above the brand logo.

Where some brands might have seen an embarrassment, Coors Light and its agency, Rethink, saw an 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.

Catch a highlight

Coors and Rethink wasted little time in seizing the opportunity. “Shohei gave us rocket fuel by breaking the ad. We just needed a spark,” says Aaron Starkman, global creative director at Rethink. “When something culturally relevant happens that fits 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 images of the moment: the broken pixels. Instead of putting Ohtani at the center of an election campaign, the black square became the centerpiece of a campaign that embraced imperfection. “Shohei’s foul and the attention it received initially helped us avoid a costly media push,” Starkman explains.

It was an unusual approach. Where many brands may have tried to downplay the incident, especially without Ohtani’s formal approval, Coors Light chose a different tack. With a quick and adaptable approach, an image of a Coors Light adorned with a black square can quickly flood social media feeds and appear on billboards and digital ads around Angel Stadium. Within 48 hours, Rethink had designed and launched a special-edition Coors Light can, featuring a black square with pixels blown out in the Citi Field ad.

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

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

Transforming a black square into a global phenomenon

The unconventional approach paid off. The limited edition cans sold out online in less than 24 hours. Fans in both the United States and Japan – Ohtani’s home country – have embraced the campaign, adding black squares to their cans and Coors Light merchandise when the special cans sell out. The broken original panel also became an heirloom, selling at auction online for more than $7,000. Meanwhile, mentions of the campaign on social media reflected 100% positive sentiment.

So why did the “Lights Out” campaign resonate so deeply with the public? According to Starkman it’s simple: “Beer should be fun. Ultimately, baseball fans saw a beer brand make light of a bad moment and have a sense of humor about it.” Embracing what many brands would have considered a bad moment, Coors Light came across as conscious and playful, qualities that endeared it to fans.

Another reason for the campaign’s success was its organic nature. Unlike other brands that spend millions on visibility at sporting events, the brand has deftly made its way into the conversation. Ohtani’s foul was an unsponsored and unplanned moment, but Coors Light ended up trending higher than Budweiser, MLB’s official beer partner, during the height of the campaign.

Ultimately, the results of the campaign spoke for themselves. Beyond the sold-out cans and viral buzz, Coors Light has successfully positioned itself as a beer brand that can keep pace with the modern, rapidly evolving world of sports. And what started as an unexpected moment on the baseball field quickly evolved into a global phenomenon, proving that even a broken commercial can create a winning campaign.

As Starkman says, “You don’t need a huge budget to do good work.” Sometimes all it takes is a foul ball and a broken light bulb.