Miller High Life’s champagne-sized bottles make a comeback

Miller High Life is getting all dressed up for the holiday season.

The company’s Champagne of Beers is relaunching its champagne-sized 750-ml. bottles for another year.

“Reception was so good across the country last year that it was a no-brainer to bring it back for 2019,” Nigel Jones, the marketing manager for the Miller family of brands, said. “The attention our distinctive champagne bottle commands not only is a great marketing tool to boost brand equity, but it gets the Champagne of Beers into more holiday moments.”

Featuring an updated design for 2019, the bottles feature necks wrapped in gold foil sealed with the Girl in the Moon logo, as well as the words “The Champagne of Beers” in raised glass letters, and a slight diagonal orientation framed in gold and green, the company said.

“Even though beer remains the top-selling category over the holiday season, wine and spirits have an outsized influence at retail,” Jones said. “Our champagne bottle program opens that door and gets us on the floor during a time of year when we weren’t really getting there before.”

In addition, Miller High Life will send select bars and restaurants branded champagne coupe glassware that can be used for building Champagne of Beer towers to add a bit of retail theater to celebrations, the company said.

“Most drinkers know what High Life is and what we stand for, but we need to let them know why we’re special,” Jones said. “This is one way in that gets people talking about us again.”

Those in New York City are also in for a special treat. During the second week of December, a custom champagne bottle vending machine stocked with 150 bottles at each new location will be making its way around the city. The bottles will be free to consumers on a first-come, first-serve basis.

“People are pumped when they see them, and it makes them want to go out and buy a couple,” Jones added. “As soon as these bottles start hitting the floor, we see a ton of excitement and a flood of photos on social media. The rule of thumb is that if you see it once, jump on it because it tends to sell out quickly.”

Bottles are expected to retail around $3.49 and are currently making their way to retail shelves nationwide.