• Ad Age, Friday, January 18, 2008 11:30 AM

MGD 64, which has only a little more than half MGD Light's 110 calories, tested well enough in Madison, Wis., late last year to persuade Miller to greenlight a roll out in major Midwestern markets starting March 1. It will be backed by print, radio and outdoor ads. There will be a clear focus on placing ads in and around health clubs, executives close to the situation say, noting that the tagline used in the trial market--"As light as it gets"--was well-received.

At 64 calories, the brand is the lowest-calorie mass-marketed domestic beer to date, although Beck's Premier Light, from Belgian beer giant InBev, also hit the 64-calorie level when it debuted in 2005. Miller CMO Randy Ransom says MGD 64 will replace MGD Light in the marketplace, and will be aimed at stealing women drinkers from rival brands such as Michelob Ultra, Bud Light and Coors Light.

Barrel shipments of MGD fell to 3.45 million in 2006 from 4.15 million in 2004, according to Beer Marketer's Insights, and indications are that trends worsened for the brand during 2007. Overall, MGD Light accounts for slightly less than 10% of MGD's 3.45 million barrels.

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