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History
In 2019, Miller Lite decided to enter the gaming world. This was first established on May 15, 2019, when Miller Lite announced that it had signed a deal with the esports organization Complexity Gaming. The deal included care packages for players, sponsorship of various party lounges at esports tournaments, and a new video series in which Complexity’s players and influencers recounted their best esports stories.
Long before this deal was reached, however, Miller Lite was already working on another way to associate its name with the gaming industry. A few months earlier, the company began developing a new publicity stunt to boost its presence among gamers. To ensure success, Miller hired DDB Chicago, a full-service advertising and marketing agency headquartered in Chicago, and UNIT9, a global innovation and creative production studio that specializes in blending technology, art, and experiential marketing. Yifei Chai, Creative Director at UNIT9, took the lead as Creative Director for the CANtroller.
The idea was simple: could a can of beer be turned into a controller? The answer proved more complex. The CANtroller took about three months to develop. No one had ever done anything like this before, so without any existing model to follow, the entire approach had to be crafted from the ground up. The team tested dozens of conductive materials, laminating methods, and wrapping materials to find the winning combination that would integrate the necessary technology while maintaining the appearance of the original can design.
The final product is a wireless, rechargeable 10-button controller with integrated Bluetooth technology that allows it to connect to any computer. A lithium-ion battery provides three hours of gameplay, and a micro-USB port recharges it quickly. Best of all, the CANtroller still works after the tab is opened and the beer inside is consumed, so players can keep playing long after enjoying their refreshing reward. It is also fridge-safe.
Release
Miller knew they had created something crazy, and since the controller was never designed for mass production, they had only one chance to make the stunt as big as possible. The upcoming E3 in Los Angeles was the perfect venue to showcase the CANtroller. Unfortunately, Miller did not have an E3 sponsorship, so they could not rent space inside the show. Instead, they set up across the street from E3 and hired famous actor Eric André to host a Street Fighter tournament. The rules were simple: if you could beat Eric André at Street Fighter, you received a free CANtroller. The tournament was streamed live on Twitch and broke the record for a branded stream.
Demise
Nevertheless, the buzz created around the CANtroller was an epic success. Purchase intent among gamers rose 728%, the stunt generated more than a billion impressions, and the CANtroller won several awards, including a Silver and a Bronze medal at The One Show and a Bronze Clio Award. Following this huge success, Eric André even became a spokesperson for Twitch.
As with all good things, the CANtroller eventually faded away. Miller hinted that several hundred more units might be produced, but to our knowledge those additional controllers never saw the light of day. As the months passed, newer and more outrageous publicity stunts appeared. The KFConsole took the concept to a whole new level, followed by the BL6, a fully functional console made by Bud Light (which could technically work with the CANtroller).
Nowadays, the CANtroller is mostly forgotten, but it did show the world that it pays to be bold and innovative.