Dive Brief:

• AB In-Bev’s Michelob Ultra recently hosted an outdoor workout experience in Los Angeles, called “Power by the People,” featuring four workout stations that were equipped with sensors from digital agency Float Hybrid that monitored participants’ workout intensity and powered digital signs at the LA Live entertainment complex, according to details provided to Marketing Dive. 
• At each workout station, cameras tracked the velocity of movement and displayed information on screens. Participants were tasked with filling up four virtual glasses with Michelob Ultra to unlock happy hour. Characters on the digital signs responded to the movement of the participants. When the glasses were full, the workout ended and beer started flowing. 
• The event was an effort to promote the beer brand’s Ultra Fit Fest in Scottsdale, Arizona that takes place Sept. 21-23. The festival offers fitness enthusiasts an opportunity to train with fitness elites. 

Dive Insight:

Pairing beer and fitness may seem like an odd combination, but “Power by the People” and the fitness festival are an extension of Michelob Ultra’s efforts to link up with the health, wellness and fitness craze, which is a multitrillion-dollar industry. The interactive workout, referred to as an “applause meter on steroids” by Michelob’s digital agency Float Hybrid, taps into the experiential marketing trend by providing fitness enthusiasts with a unique, collaborative experience centered on the goal of releasing the flow of beer. Displaying the exercisers’ progress on digital signs allowed Michelob Ultra to make a connection with consumers and build brand awareness. 

Fitness is a marketing theme that Michelob Ultra has embraced before. Last year, the beer brand used a Facebook Messenger bot to entice consumers to sign up for “influencer-led” workout sessions. The company also ran an Amazon Alexa campaign in partnership with fitness and media company Rodale. Most recently, Michelob Ultra unveiled the Ultra Caddie Bag, a golf bag prototype equipped with a keg of beer and other features, at the PGA Championship, of which the brand was an official sponsor. 

Michelob Ultra has also released new products this year aimed at the more health-conscious beer drinker. The company launched Michelob Ultra Pure Gold, made with organic grains and containing fewer carbs and calories than the original Michelob Ultra. The brand also released new smaller 7-ounce bottles with fewer calories and carbs than the typical beer to encourage more weeknight consumption. 

Consumers drinking habits are evolving, with many shunning beer in favor of spirits. Michelob Ultra’s efforts to tap into the wellness trend seem to be paying off. The brand has been a bright spot for Anheuser-Busch, which has seen falling sales as customer habits shift.