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NEW YORK—Earlier this month, Coors Light announced it will eliminate plastic rings from its packaging around the world, wherever Molson Coors owns brewing operations. The beer brand will transition to fully recyclable and sustainably sourced cardboard wrap carriers later this year. In total, the move will save 1.7 million pounds of plastic waste annually.
Perhaps in an effort to attract eco-conscious Gen Z and millennial consumers, Coors Light debuted the new packaging at the “Plastic-Free Future Mart by Coors Light,” a sustainable pop-up concept store in Brooklyn that was open to adults 21 and older March 2-6. (Proof of a full COVID-19 vaccine was required for entry.)
“As marketers, we believed an activation would help inform Coors Light fans and consumers about our move away from six-pack rings, and our greater sustainability ambitions moving forward," said Aaron Ormond, senior director of marketing for Coors Light.Photo: Courtesy of Coors Light
Visitors were able to immerse themselves in a plastic-free shopping experience, participate in giveaways and enter for a chance to win prizes, including some of the Coors Light-branded display items. The shelves of the pop-up space were lined with conceptual products like Coors Light pancake mix and cereal, along with a Rocky Mountain News rack. The store was built from plastic-free, fully recyclable and reusable materials, including brewery scraps.
The move to cardboard carriers will make Coors Light the largest beer brand in North America to cut out the use of plastic rings. But this isn’t the first time the brand has embraced sustainability: In 1959, Coors Light debuted the two-piece recyclable aluminum can, which revolutionized the beverage industry.
“We’re all aware of the impact plastic rings and single-use plastic have. We want to be the change we see in the world, so that means looking at our own processes and deciding what we can do to make a meaningful difference,” Ormond said. “As marketers, we believed an activation would help inform Coors Light fans and consumers about our move away from six-pack rings, and our greater sustainability ambitions moving forward.”
VENDORS:
Agency: Droga5
Production: Enter.works
Design & Fabrication: Pink Sparrow
The pop-up's exterior resembled that of a classic food mart, nearly blending in alongside Brooklyn shops.Photo: Courtesy of Coors Light
Visitors were able to immerse themselves in a plastic-free shopping experience and participate in giveaways and enter for a chance to win prizes, including some of the Coors Light branded display items.Photo: Courtesy of Coors Light
