Miller Lite has released a woke commercial expressing regret for its past use of bikini-clad women in its advertising. Comedian Ilana Glazer starred in the one minute, 30-second commercial, emphasizing the important role women have played in brewing throughout history. The ad, titled “Bad $#!T to Good $#!T,” highlights Miller Lite’s efforts to rectify its mistakes and make amends.
In the commercial, Glazer reveals that Miller Lite launched a program during Women’s History Month in March, where they collected old marketing materials to be composted and converted into fertilizer. This fertilizer would then be used to grow hops, which would be provided to female brewers. The company’s goal is to empower women in the brewing industry and address the issues surrounding women’s portrayal in beer advertisements.
The commercial comes after a controversial ad by rival brand Bud Light, featuring transgender TikTok Dylan Mulvaney, which received significant backlash. As a result, Bud Light’s market capitalization dropped by over $6 million, and marketing experts criticized the brand for losing touch with its customer base. Similar concerns are now being raised about Miller Lite’s advertising practices.
In the Miller Lite commercial released on March 7, Glazer calls out the brand for its previous ads featuring women in revealing outfits. She points out the irony of women being involved in brewing since ancient times, yet being portrayed in swimsuits in the beer industry’s marketing campaigns. Glazer then introduces Miller Lite’s commitment to cleaning up the industry’s past mistakes by encouraging people to send their old marketing materials to the company for composting.
As part of the “Bad $#!T to Good $#!T” campaign, the company says it will donate more than five times the amount they spent on the project to the Pink Boots Society, a nonprofit organization supporting women and non-binary individuals in the fermented beverage industry.
