Blue Moon’s Newest Campaign Reminds Craft Drinkers it’s ‘one of a kind’

Blue Moon, the nation’s top-selling craft brand, is looking to build off the momentum from consumers’ return to the on-premise last year with a new ad campaign that likens it to a one-of-a-kind work of art that can be enjoyed any time.

The campaign’s two spots are “all about celebrating what makes Blue Moon so special: the unmistakable flavor, the orange garnish ritual; it’s something so unique it could hang in a gallery,” says Mara Schaefer, senior director of above-premium beer for Molson Coors Beverage Company.

The ads, which begin airing during college basketball’s national playoff tournament this week, reimagine Blue Moon Belgian White Belgian-style wheat ale as a modern work of art, with sophisticates admiring what is revealed to be a signature glass of Blue Moon hanging in the middle of a gallery. The ad ends reminding drinkers that each pint of Blue Moon is “one of a kind. Every time.” Airing on TV and across digital channels, the spots will reach 85% of craft drinkers, Shaefer says.

With “Made Brighter,” the brand is looking to connect with its core audience, while also aiming to “re-establish Blue Moon as a modern craft brand for today’s drinkers,” Schaefer says. “Craft beer drinkers are interested in variety and discovery. A lot of times they think they can only get that from the newest brands. But Blue Moon’s been delivering that for nearly 30 years.”

Founded in 1995, Blue Moon is among the pioneers of craft beer. As the segment has expanded, Blue Moon has sought to grow with drinkers through line extensions such as  flavorful, light beers including Blue Moon LightSky Citrus Wheat and Blue Moon LightSky Tropical Wheat.

The franchise had a bounce-back year in 2021. With more than half of its volume sold in the on-premise, Belgian White grew share and volume, while restoring its on-premise distribution to near pre-COVID levels, Shaefer says. Belgian White’s net sales revenue grew by the high single digits, with double-digit growth in the fourth quarter, Molson Coors CEO Gavin Hattersley told investors last month.

“The craft landscape is a lot more crowded than when Blue Moon first came onto the scene,” Schaefer says. “Our objective now is to create the new modern chapter of Blue Moon.”