Bud Light banks on Super Bowl to launch a comeback after disastrous sales year: Beleaguered beer brand will air 60 second commercial – at a cost of up to $14 million – that will tout it as ‘Easy to Drink, Easy to Enjoy’
Bud Light is making a comeback with the launch of a striking new Super Bowl LVIII ad after the beleaguered brand suffered massive sales losses in the wake of its disastrous banner campaign with Dylan Mulvaney.
The beer brand, which is the official beer sponsor of the NFL, released a teaser of the commercial on Thursday, saying it will expand its “Easy to Drink, Easy to Enjoy” platform.
βThe brand is back with a humorous spot that introduces a new character to the Bud Light universe and some familiar faces from the platforms the brand has been passionate about for years,β said Bud Light parent company Anheuser-Busch.
Based on last year’s Super Bowl ad rates, the 60-second commercial could cost as much as $14 million.
The twelve-second preview opens with a close-up of a Bud Light quilted jacket and a mustached man wearing sunglasses, as Steppenwolf’s Magic Carpet Ride plays in the background.
Bud Light released a teaser of its Super Bowl LVIII commercial on Thursday, saying it will expand its ‘Easy to Drink, Easy to Enjoy’ platform
The 12-second preview starts with a close-up of a Bud Light quilted jacket as Steppenwolf’s Magic Carpet Ride plays in the background, then jumps to a man in a Broncos jersey
A white flash then appears on the screen and the ad cuts to a man wearing a number 18 Denver Broncos jersey β the same one Peyton Manning wore when he played on the team β saying, “Are you?” ‘
The screen jumps to the Super Bowl LVIII logo and then to the Bud Light logo as someone is heard shouting “Let’s go” in the background.
βThe Super Bowl is the biggest advertising moment and our goal is to re-captivate our audiences as the world watches,β said Kyle Norrington, Anheuser-Busch Chief Commercial Officer.
βWe are present in a big way at this moment that matters to our beer drinkers and football fans across the country, through unparalleled creative storytelling, seamless trade integrations, record-breaking consumer promotions, robust media plans and on-the-ground activations. ‘
Anheuser-Busch has been producing Super Bowl commercials for nearly five decades. According to The Wall Street Journalthe Bud Light ad will be 60 seconds long, and Anheuser-Busch will also show a 60-second Michelob Ultra commercial starring Lionel Messi, as well as a 30-second Budweiser spot.
In November, CBS reportedly “virtually sold out” of its ad inventory for Super Bowl LVIII, which is remarkable considering ads cost as much as $7 million for a 30-second spot.
It was previously reported that as much as 70 percent of ad inventory had already been sold before training camps opened.
Bud Light sales fell in 2023 amid conservative backlash after the brand sent a commemorative can to transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney
Through the first two weeks of 2024, Bud Light accounted for just 7.4 percent of retail beer sales, down 28.9 percent from the year before
Anheuser-Busch will also have a presence in Las Vegas, bringing the iconic Budweiser Clydesdales to Sin City.
Bud Light will host a concert with country singer Zach Bryan in Las Vegas on February 9 to kick off Super Bowl weekend.
Bud Light sales suffered in 2023, largely due to a boycott of the beer following a collaboration with transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney.
Through the first two weeks of 2024, Bud Light accounted for just 7.4 percent of retail beer sales, down 28.9 percent from the year before, according to NIQ data analyzed by consulting firm Bump Williams and quoted by The Wall Street Journal.
In the controversial promotion, Mulvaney posted a video of herself opening a Bud Light on her Instagram page on April 1.
She showed off the personalized tin with her face on it – one of many freebies she received and promoted to her millions of followers.
Bud Light was accused of alienating its traditional customer base by partnering with Mulvaney, prompting many conservatives β including Kid Rock β to boycott the brand.
The setback led to plummeting sales and the takeover of Modelo Especial as America’s number one beer brand.
NFL legends Peyton Manning and Emmitt Smith appeared in a Bud Light commercial in December as the brand tries to distance itself from the backlash over the Mulvaney partnership
Anheuser-Busch lost $390 million in sales in the second quarter compared to the previous year.
By December, sales of the beer had still not recovered, despite the company partnering with NFL stars in a marketing campaign in an effort to boost sales.
In the four weeks ended December 9, Bud Light retail sales fell 28 percent compared to the same period in 2022.
Bud Light teamed up with NFL legends Peyton Manning and Emmitt Smith for a commercial that aired leading up to the 2024 Super Bowl.
Last year, Top Gun: Maverick star Miles Teller and his model wife Keleigh Sperry showed off their dance moves and gave a glimpse into their family life in the Bud Light Super Bowl commercial.