Coors’ Broken Billboard

Is a broken billboard a marketing opportunity?

Last year, superstar baseball player Shohei Ohtani smashed a long foul ball against the New York Mets.

The ball perfectly hit a digital Coors Light ad in the stadium, knocking out the top left corner of a beer can image.

At first glance, it was a fun moment showcasing Ohtani’s bat and giving Coors a bit of extra exposure during the game.

But the beer maker saw more in the busted pixel.

Coors quickly released a limited edition can for beer drinkers and baseball fans alike. The can was a normal Coors Light can, but with a black square at the top imitating the billboard.

The limited edition $17 empty cans sold out online well before the estimated shipment date.

‘Hits the Spot’

In addition to the limited edition packaging, Coors added the black square to stadium signage at Angel Stadium and promoted it on social media with the tagline “Hits the spot.”

The quick campaign is a great example of reactive marketing.

Sometimes, it can be something that happens to your brand, like Ohtani’s foul ball. Other times, it can be a news story or industry moment that you can tap into.

Packaging isn’t always the easiest element for a brand to change. In this case, Coors saw enough opportunity to go for it, thanks in part to an enthusiastic reaction on social media. That engagement gave the brand the intel it needed to expand the campaign from digital posts to a physical product.