Bud Light is strengthening its country music ties through a partnership with musician Zach Bryan, according to a company release. Bryan will headline the brand’s concert event slated for the weekend of Super Bowl LVIII and kick off the second year of the Bud Light Backyard Tour.
“The Bud Light Backyard Tour Presents Zach Bryan” will take place Feb. 9 at The Chelsea at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas, with the tie-up also inclusive of giveaways and a partnership with nonprofit Folds of Honor, which provides educational scholarships to families of fallen and disabled first responders and service members.
The partnership comes as the Anheuser-Busch InBev brand seeks to further repair its standing following controversy around its partnership with transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney earlier this year. Earlier this year, leadership declared that Bud Light going forward would focus on its core consumer base’s main interests, like beer, football and music — cornerstones that the Bryan partnership touches on.
“Anheuser-Busch and our brands have brought unparalleled experiences to football fans and to country music lovers for decades. We could not be more excited to partner with Zach Bryan and to showcase his all-star talent during Super Bowl LVIII weekend,” said Brendan Whitworth, CEO, Anheuser-Busch in a press release tied to the Bryan partnership.
According to AB InBev’s third-quarter earnings call, 40% of lapsed Bud Light drinkers are debating on returning to the brand, but AB InBev’s revenue declined 13.5% in the U.S. during the period. The tie-up with Bryan sees the brand entering the second year of its Bud Light Backyard Tour series and expands on the brand’s “Easy to Drink, Easy to Enjoy” platform. The Bud Light Backyard Tour this year offered consumers a slew of musical performances throughout the summer and college football season.
In another bid for a rebound, Bud Light in June launched what it billed as its biggest summer campaign effort ever. The effort included a spot, “Easy to Summer” and was supported by the brand’s largest media spend to date.
