New Miller Genuine Draft recaptures ‘genuineness’ with brand refresh

Molson Coors Beverage Company has unveiled a new identity for ‘90s icon Miller Genuine Draft (MGD), famous for its cold-filtered process, to reinvigorate the brand. Working with global brand agency BrandOpus, MGD restored the authenticity of the brand, reflecting the ‘genuiness’ at its core.

MG established itself as one of the biggest US beer brands in the ‘90s but had slowly lost relevance with consumers in the two decades since. The team at BrandOpus identified that the brand lacked an emotive meaning that was compelling at the point of purchase and that its assets were  lacking distinctiveness which was stopping them from being easily remembered.

To bring the humble authenticity sitting at the heart of the brand to life, BrandOpus embraced a more authentic, ‘nothing-to-hide’ aesthetic that celebrates people who forge their own path. The brand is now a rawer and more honest version of itself, shifting away from its elaborate and ornamental styling. While the new identity retains many of the brand’s memory structures, they are evolved and strengthened, like the new red and black palette which is still there, but is used in a much bolder way.

The eagle, which had previously played a secondary role on pack, becomes the protagonist, becoming a memorable and distinctive icon. Revitalised with a more contemporary style, the carefully hand crafted eagle is a symbol of American confidence and character.

“Historically seen as authoritarian and static, we breathed meaning back into the brand through a more powerful and lively execution of the eagle. Captured at the heart of the identity, we believe this distinctive asset brings a sense of depth and discovery to every moment with MGD,” says Paul Taylor, chief creative officer and founding partner at BrandOpus.

The red sun asset has also been strengthened so that it now acts as a beacon for the brand. The new design pairs a bold, empowered and unedited tone of voice with a more contemporary and honest typographic style to further evoke a sense of realness within the brand.

“BrandOus has crafted a new identity for Miller Genuine Draft which amplifies the equities and reimagines them for today and the future. Our flying eagle becomes the proud icon of a brand which once again has reason to soar,” says senior marketing manager at MGD, Anne Pando.