Dive Brief:

• Blue Moon, a Molson Coors brand, tapped comedian and writer Colin Jost as its first celebrity partner for a new ad campaign, according to a press release.
• Jost’s production company, No Notes, co-created “Nothing Outshines a Blue Moon” with agency Adam&eveDDB. The effort is part of the brand’s larger “Made Brighter” platform.
• Spots will air on national TV, social and streaming video. The campaign also includes social media assets featuring Blue Moon Belgian White Belgian-Style Wheat Ale and Blue Moon Light.

Dive Insight:

Blue Moon is embracing humor for its first celebrity partnership. Jost, who has served as a weekend co-anchor on “Saturday Night Live” since 2014, not only provides a recognizable face, but also professional insights for the brand. The initiative comes as Molson Coors looks to boost the Blue Moon brand family. Earlier this year, the company launched Blue Moon Extra, a canned product aimed at the convenience store market.

In the first spot, “Orange & Son,” Jost encounters two sentient oranges at a bar, one of which has just become the garnish of the comedian’s beverage. In the second spot, “Zoom In,” Jost is upstaged by the beverage, with the camera ignoring him in favor of the pint. The message is clear: Not even a renowned comedian can outshine a Blue Moon. Both spots prominently feature the orange garnish, a key part of Blue Moon’s branding.

To extend the campaign beyond paid media, Blue Moon and Jost picked up the bar tab for patrons at select bars in Staten Island, New York, the birthplace of the comedian. Press details also tease an appearance by Jost at one of his favorite local spots. Together, the moves could help the brand form more authentic relationships with target consumers and grow loyalty. 

Celebrity partnerships remain a go-to strategy for many marketers, and creative collaborations between a brand and a celebrity aren’t new. Ryan Reynolds’ Maximum Effort has worked extensively with marketers like Heinz. Jost not only co-creating the spots, but also starring in them, is a signal of Blue Moon’s level of commitment.

Earlier this month, Blue Moon partnered with Eos to create a limited-edition Valencia Orange Lip Balm. The partnership reinforces the role orange plays in the beer’s branding. 

Molson Coors saw a Q1 revenue drop of 11.26%, according to a May earnings call. Blue Moon remains a central part of the brand’s efforts to focus on premium products, despite the brand being negatively impacted when Molson Coors moved from 15-packs to 12-packs to align with broader consumer preferences.