The secret to Molson Coors’ viral success on Instagram Reels

Article by Sara Lebow | Oct 25, 2023

Instagram Reels are shared over 2 billion times per day, according to Bianca Bradford, director and head of agency in North America at Meta, speaking at Advertising Week New York 2023. And when marketers and creators go viral, it can lead to actions like brand followings, messaging, or purchases.

To succeed on Reels, marketers first need users to see their posts. That means going viral, something Molson Coors has done well. Here are the brand’s tips for what Bradford called “combating the itchy fingers we have on social” to win over users’ attention.

1. Don’t overcomplicate

“Be brutal in the simplicity of your idea,” said Rory McClenaghan, group strategy director at Molson Coors’ internal agency, Volt. If you can’t explain the Reels idea in four frames or fewer, it’s probably too complicated.

Reels also work best when they feel organic, said Michelle Nagel, senior marketing manager for Miller Lite at Molson Coors. Keep things lo-fi so content doesn’t look overproduced.

2. Take production seriously

Just because content looks organic doesn’t mean there’s no work behind it. The Miller Lite team dedicates full production days to creating Reels. Consider aspects like the filming location and who is featured in the Reels when creating content.

3. Flip the script

Users will scroll away from short-form content like Reels, TikToks, and YouTube Shorts if it doesn’t immediately pull them in. That means altering your joke structure.

While a traditional ad may start slow and build to a punchline, McClenaghan suggests putting the punchline first in order to hook viewers and give them an understanding of what they’re about to see.

4. Be bold but stay on brand

Reels should be entertaining and spark delight, but brands need to make sure they’re not differing too much from their brand voice. For Molson Coors, this means making sure each brand has its own established social point of view. Content for Miller Lite’s Reels may look totally different from content for Topo Chico Hard Seltzer, because the core customer for each brand differs.

“Giving your customer what they want to see is important,” said Nagel.

5. Make content with Reels in mind

Putting other asset types like Stories in Reels doesn’t work, said Nagel.

Meta’s Bradford emphasized using the “language of Reels,” which she defined as being relatable, entertaining, digestible, and nondisruptive in the feed.

Bradford emphasized three best practices:

Sound on: Content should be filmed with sound because viewers are likely watching with sound.
Safe zone: This is what Meta calls the area in Stories and Reels that won’t be covered by profile icons or calls to action in the top and bottom. Keeping creative elements in that middle zone will ensure that users can see everything.
Shoot vertical: Users watch Reels vertically, so make sure to shoot them that way as well.