Are you bored with beer? Jim Beam is betting that you are in its new campaign promoting the classic highball cocktail. The whiskey distiller is inviting consumers to banish their beer boredom by trying a refreshing Jim Beam Highball.

The refreshing, sessionable cocktail is made by mixing chilled Jim Beam bourbon with bubbly ginger ale, served on the rocks. The company, a subsidiary of Suntory, the world’s third largest distiller, calls it “the perfect alternative for those who are bored of beer but find themselves ordering another one on autopilot,” in a press release announcing the campaign.

The “Need a Break From Beer” campaign officially launched on January 4 with a new TV spot that plays on tired beer tropes including a couple straight from Octoberfest pushing hefeweizens and hipsters touting an IPA aged with goat milk (goat included). The campaign’s message is clear: beer is tired and heavy, sometimes complicated or mysterious, and customers are thirsty for more options.

An integrated marketing campaign

“With the launch of ‘Need a Break From Beer,’ we’re taking a widely enjoyed cocktail that’s been trending for years and finally shining the national spotlight on it,” said Jessica Spence, president of brands at Beam Suntory. “We know drinkers are getting bored with beer and are looking for new alternatives. The Jim Beam Highball is incredibly easy to mix and perfect for enjoyment while at home or in bars when the time is right.”

In addition to TV ads, the brand will produce “Highball programming” throughout the year. Multimedia events will include “retail marketing, baseball stadium activations, consumer sampling, and value-add packaging.”

Jim Beam will also host pop-up “Beam Gardens” in several markets nationwide. These “beer garden” alternatives will feature Jim Beam Highballs on tap.

Coattails of Hard Seltzer

The “Need a Break From Beer” campaign illustrates how spirits producers are trying to capitalize on the same spirit that led to the rise of hard seltzer and pre-made cocktails. The market lacked light and sessionable beer alternatives for a long time, leaving a gap that was quickly filled by the spiked and sparkling segment.

Now that seltzers, spritzers, and RTDs are skyrocketing in popularity, distillers are trying to get their own piece of this growing segment. We’ve seen a number of high profile spirits companies launch their own ready-to-drink (RTD) canned cocktails in the last few months alone.

As consumption has moved from bars and restaurants to consumers’ homes, spirits companies who enjoyed strong on-premise sales pre-pandemic have found pre-made cocktails to be a viable alternative to shrinking sales.

Jim Beam RTD in the offing?

When a significant amount of sales come from industry liquor consumption, introducing a canned cocktail for legal-drinking age (LDA) customers to enjoy at home is one way to stay relevant. Creating a campaign based around a classic, easy to mix cocktail that consumers can enjoy from home is another.

With different flavors like apples and peach, we’re sure to see some exciting new twists on the Jim Beam Highball soon. Will we see a Jim Beam RTD canned Highball hit the market soon? If the “Need a Break From Beer” campaign is successful, it would be a great next step.

Erin Grafton
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