Baseball fans already know Shohei Ohtani is one of the most exciting players since … ever maybe. For those who don’t watch baseball, Ohtani plays for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, and not only is a pitcher who can top 100 MPH, but also crushes home runs. That sort of two-way player is unheard of in the modern game. He’s a unicorn.
A couple of weeks ago, Ohtani demolished a home run into the advertising board and knocked out some of the picture. Specifically, he added a black square to a Coors Light ad.
In response, Coors Light leaned into it and printed a special-edition can with a black square above the logo to match the advertising board.
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
The “Hits the Spot” can was created through digital printing on traditional Coors Light cans, according to Creative Bloq.
The cans were available for $17 online, and sold out in one day.
Coors Light, along with other light beer brands in America, have been crushing their promos over the last few years. Even during the pandemic lockdowns, when bars were closed, they found ways to reach their target audiences.
Molson Coors also just announced its plan for how brands would fit into the now-underway football season, with Coors Light looking to expand on its partnership with ESPN’s “College Gameday” with packaging and other other football-themed activations, according to Marketing Dive.
This Ohtani promo, though, is a case study in paying attention to small details. While it would be easy to just gawk at yet another one of his home runs, the folks at Coors looked at the moment the screen was knocked out and decided that it could be a marketing moment. That takes presence of mind.
