Bud Light teams up with NFL legends Peyton Manning and Emmitt Smith in desperate bid to boost sales after Dylan Mulvaney marketing disaster sparked widespread boycott
Bud Light has teamed up with NFL legends Peyton Manning and Emmitt Smith in an effort to boost sales following the PR disaster involving trans influencer Dylan Mulvaney, which saw customers boycott the brand.
The Pro Football Hall of Famers star in a new commercial released ahead of the Super Bowl, which kicks off in two months at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas.
The brand remained the official NFL sponsor despite sales declining 30 percent due to controversy over its decision to partner with Mulvaney on a campaign.
The 26-year-old influencer teamed up with the beer brand for their March Madness NCAA campaign in April and was sent a personalized can as part of the promotion.
But the setback caused Bud Light's parent company, Anheuser-Busch, to lose $400 million in sales as transphobic fans shunned the brand and others who felt it didn't do enough to defend Mulvaney also boycotted it.
NFL legends Peyton Manning and Emmitt Smith appear in the latest Bud Light commercial as the brand tries to distance itself from the backlash over its partnership with trans influencer Dylan Mulvaney
Bud Light's parent company lost $400 million in sales and the brand lost its top spot as the top-selling American beer after the Mulvaney backlash
The 26-year-old influencer teamed up with the beer brand for their March Madness NCAA campaign in April
Their total U.S. sales fell 10.5 percent from the previous year, forcing the U.S. chief marketing officer to resign after the beer was knocked off the top spot as the country's best seller.
In the new Bud Light ad, Manning orders a round of beer for the bar before handing it out to customers, with Smith's help.
In typical quarterback style, Manning drops back and starts passing cans of Bud Light before Smith joins the crowd to shout the touchdown.
The campaign also gives fans the chance to win Playoff and Super Bowl tickets by scanning QR codes on their can.
'It is an iconic brand and has been in the sport for a long time. Every brand itself goes through repeats of highs and lows,” says Smith Fox Business.
“Even the Dallas Cowboys are going through repeats of highs and lows, and it's been a low for a long time because we haven't been to the NFC Championship Game, etc., etc.”
“So in this case, I think what Bud Light is doing to engage fans is great.
'They offer them the opportunity to do something very special, very unique.
The Manning and Smith campaign is the brand's latest move to distance itself from the controversy and comes after Anheuser-Busch's US Chief Marketing Officer announced he will be stepping down
UFC president Dana White has hit back at critics of the UFC's controversial $105 million deal with Bud Light
“They're giving them a different level of experience, utilizing Peyton Manning and myself, and I think that in itself is unique.”
Manning added, “Experienced in the playoffs or the Super Bowl is a special moment for a fan, and I'm thrilled that Emmitt and I can be part of Bud Light's mission to create their largest NFL postseason ticket. giveaway ever.”
The ad will run in a 30- and 15-second format during the 2023 NFL Playoff season, leading up to Super Bowl LVIII, and is part of the brand's larger 'Easy to Drink, Easy to Enjoy' platform, which was founded during Super Bowl LVII. .
The stunt is the latest marketing tool the beer company has deployed since sales began to decline in the wake of the Mulvaney partnership.
It comes after Anheuser-Busch announced $3 million in scholarships for families of fallen and disabled first responders in America.
The scholarships are offered in conjunction with Folds of Honor, the charity's longest-standing partner of more than 100 years, in another effort to distance itself from the culture wars.
The brand also partnered with UFC in a $105 million deal, despite fierce criticism and calls for fans to boycott the MMA promotion company.
President Dana White defended the decision, saying he “doesn't say anything” about the criticism of the beer brand's use of Mulvaney and that “they are exactly who I want to be with.”
But sales have continued to fall, with the world's largest brewer reporting a 13.5 percent drop in sales in the third quarter.
CMO Benoit Garbe will resign from his position at the end of the year due to the crisis.