The beer wars are going country.
MillerCoors on Sunday lined up support from country duo Brothers Osborne in its battle with Bud Light over the use of corn syrup. The group on Twitter posted a pre-Grammy picture showing them toasting Coors Lights cans while paying tribute to "farmers who bring the brews and grub to the table." The tweet carries the "#partner" tag, signaling MillerCoors arranged the endorsement.
Pumped for tonight's #GRAMMYs Pregame ritual with @CoorsLight raising a toast to the farmers who bring the brews and grub to the table. Our beautiful country is built on y'all. #ToastToFarmers #partner pic.twitter.com/kxZQsRSeKc
— Brothers Osborne (@brothersosborne) February 10, 2019
The tweet comes a week after Anheuser-Busch InBev used three Super Bowl ads to attack Coors Light and Miller Lite for their use of corn syrup. MillerCoors has defended its use of the ingredient by saying it is part of the brewing process but does not end up in the final product. AB InBev has responded by saying it is merely making a call for ingredient transparency.
MIllerCoors' communication strategy involves lining up support from the farm belt, especially the corn industry, which during the Super Bowl immediately came to MillerCoors' defense. MillerCoors is now ramping up that support. The Brothers Osborne tweet foreshadows an event MillerCoors plans to hold Friday that it is calling a "National Toast to Farmers." A MillerCoors spokesman said the event will include visits by MillerCoors executives to farming communities to "talk with farmers directly and raise a Coors Light in their honor."
Let's all raise a cold one to the hard working American farmers, like those who help grow our high quality ingredients. Join people across the country in celebrating farmers in a national #ToastToFarmers Friday 2/15. Details to come! #CelebrateResponsibly pic.twitter.com/IjozsHUGw3
— Coors Light (@CoorsLight) February 10, 2019