tellhimfred.com

Over the last few days, people that read this humble little blog have been asking me about the current Miller Lite ad campaign. If you’ve seen the new commercials, you’ve noticed that the campaign points out that if your beer is spelled “Light”, it is a watered-down excuse for a Miller Lite. You know, Lite vs. Light.

Well, back on October 18, 2006 I wrote an open letter to Miller Lite. Here’s an excerpt:

There are many reasons why I have a lasting respect and adoration for the Miller Lite brand. The most superficial of which is your devil-may-care attitude with regards to your name: Miller LITE. While the other beer companies complied with the establishment and sold their own “light” beers, did you follow along like a drunken lemming? NO! That’s not in your nature Miller Lite. It’s just not you. Instead, you put a creative twist on the naming convention, taking advantage of verbal name recognition while keeping your name free from conformity. LITE. So similar, yet so different.

Now, I know. This could be just a coincidence. I am not calling myself an advertising genius that has been ripped off by a monolithic corporation. I do know, however, that the people at Miller Lite did read my open letter. In fact, here’s what they said:

It’s great to hear from someone who loves and respects Miller Lite. We, of course, agree with your many kind comments.

……Also, Miller Brewing Company never accepts any unsolicited marketing ideas from the general public because we have many employees and agencies working on promotional materials, and we want to avoid any chance of duplication of ideas.

At any rate, the enthusiasm and loyalty you displayed in your email toward Miller Lite were delightful to read about. Thanks for thinking about us — we certainly appreciate your business!

So, do you think I have a case? Or is this just a strange coincidence?