Brands, Fan Engagement, Sponsorship 2 min read

How Coors Turned a Broken LED Board Into Viral Marketing Gold

Written by MOS Editorial Team

Published on 23 September 2024

In 2023, Coors Beer executed one of the most innovative sports marketing play of the year by transforming a damaged billboard into a viral sensation, demonstrating the power of creativity and quick thinking. During a baseball game, Shohei Ohtani hit a foul ball into a Coors ad at the back of the stadium, leaving a black square on the ballpark’s LED display. Instead of a simple repair job, Coors embraced the moment and turned it into a unique opportunity to engage their audience in ways that traditional advertising couldn’t achieve.

The beer giant quickly altered their existing ads to feature the black square, reinforcing the connection to this iconic baseball moment. They also revamped signage at Ohtani’s home stadium with the clever tagline, “Hits the Spot.” But Coors didn’t stop there. Within 48 hours, they produced limited-edition cans featuring the black square – these sold out in less than 24 hours.

While Bud Light may be the official beer of Major League Baseball, Coors positioned themselves as the unofficial beer of the MLB with this clever, quick-turnaround campaign, turning an accidental mishap into a viral marketing triumph.

A masterclass in agile, relevant marketing.

Looks like we got a new can design thanks to the best player in baseball. Thoughts? pic.twitter.com/L3kUHvdMTc

— Coors Light (@CoorsLight) August 29, 2023