‘Made to Chill’ Coors Light helped cool low-income housing with innovative solution
The campaign won in the Design/Brand category at The Drum Awards for Marketing Americas 2023.
Coors Light set out to live up to its brand as a beer that’s ‘Made to Chill’ by creating a solution to address how rising temperatures exacerbate inequality.
With the help of DDB Chicago, the brand devised a creative solution to cooling down homes in low-income neighborhoods, where the effects of overheating are disproportionately felt. Using a special white paint that reflects sunlight, the beer behemoth painted billboards on roofs to help cool down overheated communities. The activation helped to improve lives while also bolstering the brand’s image and driving positive engagement.
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The Idea
Rising temperatures across the globe have exacerbated inequality, having an outsized effect on low-income urban communities with densely packed buildings and few green areas.
Coors Light recognized the opportunity to leverage its brand promise of being ‘Made to Chill’ to help these communities. The brand teamed up with creative agency DDB Chicago to develop and deploy a solution that could help to actively reduce temperatures in target consumers’ living spaces.
The activation aimed to help address the issue of the unequal effect of rising temperatures while also positively impacting brand perception and purchase intention among consumers.
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The Strategy
Coors Light and DDB Chicago devised an innovative out-of-home advertising concept called ‘Chillboards.’ They brought the idea of classic billboard ads to overheated black rooftops, using a special white paint that reflects 85% of sunlight. To ensure maximum coverage and legibility, a custom dynamic typeface was created that was adapted to each roof, covering 96% of the surface area.
The ‘Chillboards’ displayed messages about the benefits of white paint, serving as a functional and visually impactful solution. They helped to reduce the temperature of apartments, condos and homes in low-income areas.
Plus, the ‘Chillboards’ served as an engaging exhibition when people encountered them in online media, expanding the reach and impact of the campaign.
The project was rolled out in Miami, Florida before expanding to other markets across the globe.
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The Results
The campaign delivered tangible results for those in underserved communities as well as for the Coors Light brand. In the pilot project, the activation achieved a 50°F (28°C) reduction in roof surface temperature, a 10°F (6°C) temperature difference inside buildings and a 20% decrease in air conditioning costs. These outcomes not only helped the overheated community in Miami, Florida stay cool, but also resulted in significant annual savings of $40,000 for the community.
Moreover, the custom font was made freely available for download, enabling its widespread use and promoting innovative cooling solutions.
The success of the campaign showcased Coors Light’s commitment to social impact while generating positive brand perception and engagement.
This campaign won at The Drum Awards for Marketing Americas 2023. Find out more about The Drum’s Global Awards program or head to our case studies hub to read more award-winning stories.