Miller to drop ‘Pilsner’ in £8m relaunch

Scottish Courage is dropping the “pilsner” from its Miller Pilsner brand in an attempt to Americanise the lager as part of an £8m relaunch.

The brewer is also introducing a new dispenser, which promises to reduce wastage and provide customers with an “enhanced pint”.

Kerr Arthur, marketing manager for Miller brands at Scottish Courage, says it was decided to drop the “pilsner” because customers tend to ask for a pint of Miller and the word pilsner has European connotations.

He adds: “The strength of the brand is its US provenance. Pilsner sounds German or Czech, and was not adding any value to the brand.”

It is the second relaunch in less than ten years for the brand, which was first introduced in the UK under its US name Miller Lite in 1985. Scottish Courage rebranded the lager as Miller Pilsner in 1992 because UK customers thought “lite” meant the lager was low in alcohol.

The new dispensing system, which is being touted as a “world first”, will be introduced to all UK bars and pubs that serve Miller this month. Called the head injection tap (HIT), it allows bar staff to create a tight head on the pint by pressing a button on the fount.

The Miller relaunch will be backed by a TV and poster campaign, created by Scottish Courage roster agency Rainey Kelly Campbell Roalfe/Y&R, later this year. MediaVest handles media buying.