Coors Light is aiming to make a splash with its Chill Train big game ad, and it’s enlisted several stars to help bring chill across North America.
Coors Light announced today that Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee, two-time Grammy® Award-winner, Kennedy Center Honoree, and founder and CEO of Rock The Bells, LL COOL J, will star in its just-released spot. And country superstar Lainey Wilson, who won her first Grammy® Award on Sunday, makes an appearance as well.
“The Chill Train and this iconic song have been part of our culture for years and it’s great to have them back,” said LL COOL J. “It’s an honor to be the conductor of the Coors Light Chill Train in their Big Game ad, spreading good vibes and serving up some ice-cold Coors Light.”
Cruising across North America at 900 mph, the Chill Train is on a mission to save an awkward game day watch party, spreading good vibes and delivering Coors Light, before exiting to the tune of “Love Train” by The O’Jays, the same song that provided the soundtrack for earlier iterations of Coors Light’s beer train.
Along the way, it zips past a wedding as the father of the bride sheds a single (frozen) tear, brings mountain-cold chill to relaxed beachgoers and more.
With its first-ever standalone spot during the big game, Coors Light is aiming to keep its foot on the gas after netting a nearly 17% jump in U.S. volume sales for the 13 weeks that ended Jan. 21 versus last year, according to Circana multi-outlet and convenience store data. During that same time, it grew its share of total beer by more than a point.
“This year, we’re reintroducing our beloved beer train to original Coors Light fans and the next generation of beer drinkers,” said Marcelo Pascoa, vice president of marketing for the Coors Family of Brands. “On a night when fans everywhere can use a little more chill, the Coors Light Chill Train is here to save the day when drinkers want it most. With LL COOL J at the helm, we’re bringing a whole new meaning of ‘chill’ to Americans from coast to coast.”
But LL COOL J isn’t the only big name to show up in Coors Light’s ad.
Fans will also see country music superstar – and Coors Light’s newest brand partner – Lainey Wilson. The Chill Train hurtles past (and ices over) a photoshoot with Wilson, who was recently named the U.S.’ top country music artist and is taking the genre by storm, with Coors Light by her side; the beer brand announced last month it would sponsor her upcoming 2024 “Country’s Cool Again” tour.
Wilson will appear on Coors Light retail tools starting this month, as well as in digital and out-of-home advertising.
While the 90-second version of the ad, produced by Droga5, was released today, a special online version of the spot will drop on Sunday, featuring fans who won a seat on the Chill Train. The fans were added to the Chill Train using CGI technology.
TV versions of the big game ad will also air in Puerto Rico and Canada, where Coors Light is the nation’s top-selling light beer, according to share and market growth statistics. The brand is buying national airtime during the big game for the first time and giving Canadians who are over 21 years of age a chance to win a trip to the 2025 big game event.