• by John Gaffney , March 17, 2003

You can call it “boobs and beers” or “skin to win,” but a leading marketing consultant yesterday said that Miller Beer’s latest turn toward blatantly sexy TV ads is leading the brand into uncharted – and dangerous - territory.

“This is the first big American brand to turn itself toward the Hugh Hefner-Playboy style of marketing,” said Pam Murtaugh, CEO of Brand Power. “Big American brands have always held onto some kind of aspect of Mr. Clean, but Miller has thrown that away, even if they were strictly oriented toward men.”

After turning heads with the scantily clad ‘catfight ads’ that broke during NFL Playoff season, the brand is reportedly preparing new commercials that will test even the most liberal network censor. In one, a pillow catfight between two scantily clad women is interrupted by none other than Pamela Anderson who wants to know if she can join in. This strategy, which takes the brand and its value totally out of the mix, is either going to prove Miller to be totally desperate or totally brilliant, according to Murtaugh.

“We’ll see,” said Murtaugh. “Only they know. And the fact that they’re doing it again shows that it’s working. It almost represents this whole Bush cowboy mentality that says if you’re going to do it, do it big. It’s the new American mentality. It’s almost like they’re trying to be the Playboy magazine of beer.

Will it work? Murtaugh’s firm has studied campaigns from Budweiser, Sam Adams and Miller and rated them for effectiveness. Effectiveness, in the Brand Power ad ratings, means the ability to make a meaningful connection with consumers. She said A-B is doing an excellent job of maintaining a consistent relationship with users by communicating the brand with humorous commercials. Sam Adams get low marks for focusing only on “taste” Miller Lite gets the lowest marks.

“There is increasingly less evidence that breakthrough usage of outrageousness is good for business,” Murtaugh said. “This strategy may not work long term.”