Miller Lite Brings Back Its White Label, Possibly Also Its Mojo

The return of Miller Lite’s original white can design was supposed to be a three-month novelty with an Anchorman 2 tie-in. The brand replaced the blue cans that have been in beer aisles since 2001, and an unexpected thing happened: Miller Lite sales immediately increased in the U.S. Encouraged, MillerCoors made the white cans permanent. Now bottles and tap handles will get the white label treatment, too.

This is not quite a Hail Mary—Miller Lite is still the No. 4 beer in the U.S.—but the brand, which is jointly owned by SABMiller and Molson Coors, needs the help. MillerCoors’s share of the North American beer market has been dwindling for several years; it’s down to 6.2 percent from 7.9 percent in 2005, according to Euromonitor International.