Miller Lite memorializes work holiday parties with new campaign

Beer brand teams with Alex Prager for art installation at LACMA

2020 has upset most holiday traditions, but there is one that many have mixed feelings over — the evolution of work holiday parties. In fact, more than 50 percent of full-time office employees say they aren't sad to see these parties go, and 70 percent would choose time off from work over a holiday party, according to a survey from Engine Insights. Feelings may be mixed, but Miller Lite hopes there is one thing we can agree on: not attending a work holiday party means more time for people to enjoy Miller Lite with a few real friends. 'Tis Miller Time.

To bid farewell to the work holiday parties of the past, Miller Lite teamed up with renowned visual artist Alex Prager to memorialize their cringiest moments in a new campaign. Hyperrealist sculptural figures created by the artist and featured in the campaign will be featured in an art installation on display outdoors at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) and in a virtual experience at LACMA.org.

"Farewell Work Holiday Parties" will be supported with robust marketing support including national TV, social, digital and public relations. Click here to view the featured campaign video. The program rounds out Miller Lite's full holiday programming that includes a new lineup of 'ugly' holiday knitwear and refreshed holiday packaging.

"With many companies nixing the traditional holiday party, we're focused on the silver lining — more time with a few real friends, which is what Miller Time is all about," said Courtney Carter Dugan, director of activation for Miller Lite, in a statement. "Not having to make awkward small talk or being forced to take photobooth pictures with coworkers is a holiday gift in and of itself."

The campaign, created in partnership by DDB Chicago and San Francisco, began with a simple question: if the pandemic canceled traditional work holiday parties, would anyone miss them? Probably not. Enter: ‘Tis Miller Time. Miller Time embodies the moments when friends can come together and be themselves, and that is often far from what you'd expect at the work holiday parties of the past. When dreaming up a party filled with an array of characters in uncanny situations, the team initially referenced Alex Prager's work, and was ultimately able to partner with her to create the artwork.

"Miller Lite and DDB trusted me to make 15 life sculptures with complete creative autonomy. It's one of those dream collaborations that comes along once every five years or so," Prager said. "It touches on many things I've been exploring in my artistic practice — the line between reality and artifice and how we find ways to connect as humans through both raw emotion and performance, or projected realities. This year has been a disaster in terms of connecting with people we share common realities with, so I was very excited to work on a project that is ultimately about love and the human condition seen through an elegant and humorous lens."

The outdoor installation, sponsored by Miller Lite, will be open and free to the public at LACMA starting Nov. 21 and will run through Jan. 3, 2021. It take place on the museum's Smidt Welcome Plaza, following strict distancing and safety protocols. For more information and hours, visitors can go to LACMA.org.

Miller Lite is giving away six-packs to celebrate the holidays at home with their real friends. Consumers can visit @MillerLite on Twitter to learn how to claim one using hashtag #TisMillerTime. For more information, people can visit MillerLite.com or follow the brand on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

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