While beer advertisements are often made to be silly, it appears Molson Coors may have taken it a step too far in a Miller Lite commercial when using the slogan “light beer shouldn’t taste like water; it should taste like beer,” which was recently used in reference to competitors’ light beer options.
Molson Coors has been asked to pull a Miller Lite advertisement by the National Advertising Division (NAD) of BBB National Programs, a regulatory group that oversees U.S. advertising.
The 15-second video features a man cycling up a hill before stopping and pouring an “extremely light beer” on himself. The advert didn’t reference any specific brand of light beer, but that didn’t matter to Anheuser-Busch InBev, who filed the NAD. The NAD says the comparison is a “measurable attribute” and could lead consumers to reasonably expect that the statement is supported by such evidence despite there being none.
Molson Coors is appealing the NAD’s recommendation to remove the advertisement as they believe the slogan represents nothing more than an opinion.
This isn’t the first time Anheuser-Busch and Molson Coors have clashed. Molson Coors sued their rivalry over a 2019 Super Bowl ad claiming it used corn syrup in its brewing process.
As for my opinion on what light beer is better? I’m just reaching for whatever is cheapest in my college town liquor store.