• Ad Age, Wednesday, August 20, 2008 10:45 AM

MillerCoors is going back to the tagline that made Miller Lite one of the most successful launches in the history of the American beer business: "Great taste! Less filling!" The move is further evidence that new MillerCoors CMO Andy England is trying to center the brand's messaging on taste, much as sibling Coors Light's messaging has focused extensively on so-called cold refreshment.

The original "Great Taste, Less Filling" campaign from McCann Erickson Worldwide, which made its debut in 1974, introduced the nation to light beer. The ads -- featuring a group of contentious ex-jocks dubbed the "Miller Lite All Stars" -- helped put a masculine spin on a diet-oriented product many at the time worried would be seen as less than manly.

Coors Light and Miller Lite became teammates under MillerCoors when their brewers entered a joint venture in the U.S. earlier this summer. The two brands have not simultaneously gained market share since the mid-1990s, but MillerCoors executives feel they will be able to grow both brands by giving each a distinct positioning.

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