Bud Light teams with NFL legends on ad for Super Bowl LVIII giveaway

Dive Brief:

Bud Light has teamed with NFL legends Peyton Manning and Emmitt Smith for a new ad kicking off the Anheuser-Busch InBev brand’s largest-ever Super Bowl ticket giveaway, according to a company announcement.
The ad, running in 30- and 15-second formats, sees Manning and Smith doling out cans of Bud Light while touting their football skills at a crowded bar. Starting Dec. 1, consumers can scan QR codes on packaging and engage with the brand on social media for the chance to win Super Bowl LVIII tickets.
The effort marks an extension of the brewer’s “Easy to Drink, Easy to Enjoy” platform established in February. The move comes as Bud Light continues its battle to regain market share amid a tumultuous year for business.

Dive Insight:

Bud Light, the official beer sponsor of the NFL, is recruiting league icons Manning and Smith to build hype ahead of the playoffs and prepare for its biggest Super Bowl ticket giveaway to date. The 2024 Super Bowl will be hosted Feb. 11 in Las Vegas and will be broadcast on CBS, with ad slots for the big game — nearly sold out as of November — going for as much as $7 million.

The ad, “Easy Rounds,” begins with Manning making his way through a crowded sports bar to order a round of Bud Lights for everyone in attendance. Manning begins doling out beers to gleeful bar goers, while showing off his quarterback skills with perfectly aimed spirals. As one consumer makes a diving catch, Smith appears to call the touchdown. The spot is soundtracked to Margo & Mac’s “It’s So Easy.”

Along with the ad, which will run throughout the 2023 NFL Playoff season, Bud Light is giving consumers the chance to win tickets to Super Bowl LVIII. Those who scan Bud Light QR codes or express their favor for the brand on social media can win tickets to the big game among other prizes, like tickets to playoff games and gift cards to UberEats and Instacart. Consumers can also win tickets to the brand’s Backyard Tour concert headlined by country star Zach Bryan, which will take place the weekend of Super Bowl LVIII. The Bryan tie-up kicks off the second year of Bud Light’s concert series, which this year offered consumers a slew of musical performances throughout the summer and college football season.

The effort from Bud Light ties into an “Easy to Drink, Easy to Enjoy” platform that the brewer launched in February with a positively received Super Bowl ad. Though Bud Light remains the official beer sponsor of the NFL, parent AB InBev ended its 33-year alcohol advertising exclusivity for the Super Bowl last June, inviting competitors like Molson Coors and Heineken to advertise during the 2023 game. The league is still a major focus for the company, with Bud Light launching its largest NFL campaign to date, “Easy to Sunday,” in August.

Other efforts under Bud Light’s “Easy to Drink, Easy to Enjoy” platform have included what the brand billed as its biggest summer campaign ever, which it supported with its largest media spend to date. Such splashy efforts from the brewer come as it seeks a rebound following a partnership with transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney earlier this year that was met with backlash and has continued to plague sales. AB InBev saw revenue increase 5% in Q3 2023, though sales-to-retailers fell by 16.6%, a drop partially due to the volume decline of Bud Light, according to the company’s earnings report.

Amid the ongoing challenges, AB InBev’s U.S. CMO, Benoit Garbe, will be resigning at the end of the year, according to a November statement. U.S. Chief Commercial Officer Kyle Norrington will be “fully dedicated” to marketing moving forward.