Brewers selling old standards in new ways

"No one sees themselves as the old beer stereotype anymore," Haley said.

Its surveys show the Miller Genuine Draft line appeals to men and women who know how to cook, and want to own homes and entertain friends, not just go out for fun on the town, he said. These drinkers care more about flavor than they do about calories, meaning they won't automatically reach for a light beer, he said.

"We're pulling out every stop to make sure that we will create reconsideration in consumers' minds quickly and consistently," Haley said.

Ads on the air in 13 major markets feature 20-something men stepping over a red line, crossing into the next stage in their lives, whether it be getting married, buying a home or choosing to eat sirloin steaks rather than chuck roast. The brand even sponsored the Academy Awards this year, a far cry from traditional sports-dominated advertising for beer.

Miller originally intended to market Miller Genuine Draft for older crowds, but the brand got lumped in with Miller Lite years ago and is just now being seen on its own, Haley said.

Both Miller Genuine Draft and Anheuser-Busch's Budweiser, are at about half their peak sales volume, which for Budweiser was in the late 1980s and in the early 1990s for Miller Genuine Draft.

"It's a difficult segment of beer in which to compete these days," Steinman said.

Anheuser-Busch Cos. does not feel that Budweiser, the world's second-best selling beer, behind Bud Light, needs to be rebranded, said Randall Blackford, director of Budweiser Marketing. The company relies on sponsorship of events such as the Olympics and golf's Ryder Cup to enforce its heritage as an iconic American classic, he said.

But even its new ads, which feature the brand's signature crown appearing everywhere from in a man's hair to oil in a frying pan, are geared at this more affluent, mid-20s to early 30s age group, said Christy Brinnehl, a beverage analyst for Mintel Custom Solutions, based in Chicago.

She said brewers should be successful marketing their full-calorie, domestic premium brands to a segment that may not care as much about calories. Food companies are now telling people it's fine to indulge as long as it's within reason, and beer companies should do the same, she said.

"We're seeing a lot of this portion control, you can eat whatever you want as long as you eat in moderation," Brinnehl said. "I think they're saying you can do that with beer. It's more indulgent. There's more of a premium feel to it."

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