• Associated Press via Newsnet5.com, Monday, November 13, 2006 12 PM

As more affluent drinkers go for imported and craft beers, a new ad campaign for Miller High Life touts value, saying it's OK to drink cheap suds. The nation's second-largest brewer is targeting 20somethings with an ongoing ad campaign that proclaims Miller Genuine Draft is a "grown up" beer for drinkers who want the better things in life.

But that message missed the older crowd, who still want low-priced beer, says Tom McLoughlin, marketing director for Miller High Life. And with sales of domestic beer dropping, the company can't afford to leave out prospective customers. The new TV ads are running in 14 markets in the Midwest, including Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota and Ohio.

They feature a delivery man removing Miller High Life from a bistro, dance club and other highbrow establishments, saying the brew doesn't belong there. People have to balance their purchases. McLoughlin says, "As much as people trade up to experience more luxury goods, they can't do that all the time. There are places where you have to trade down."

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