Amstel Light

The Official Beer of the Burger

Amstel Light, the original 96 calorie imported light beer had been steadily losing popularity as the light beer category grew up around it & it had been facing internal competition as the brand’s parent company, Heineken USA, had released a light version of its flagship brand; Heineken Premium Light. 

While Amstel Light’s marketing budgets began to dwindle due to the decline, we recommended the brand take a hyper-focused approach that would resonate with the trade & sales force.  Amstel had historically been the presenting sponsor of the South Beach Wine & Food Festival’s crown jewel property, Burger Bash – a highly visible celebrity & influencer studded event with mass buzz, press appeal and was a darling event to the restaurant & bar trades.  We recommended the brand continue the sponsorship & re-allocate its limited advertising spend to create & support localized burger competitions & festivals in partnership with local market publications such as Time Out. 

Soon, the beer would take on the unofficial title of “The Official Beer of the Burger” – giving the regional sales teams a singularly focused message for restaurants & bars – to pair their best burgers with Amstel Light.  Consumers also quickly bought into the platform as it played to the brand’s strongest value proposition.  When ordering a premium, delicious burger, it made sense to pair it with a premium light beer that would be gentle on the calorie count. 

Each event became an opportunity to build & solidify relationships with key trade accounts, as well as build brand equity through media & social buzz.