To make up for lost sales, Bud Light is kicking off the new year with a 60-second ad that will air during the Super Bowl, one of the most televised events in the United States.
The campaign, dubbed “Easy Night Out,” centers on a group of friends who encounter a “Bud Light Genie” who can grant wishes during a night out, including a Bud Light that magically appears. Expand to.
During the ad, the group of friends will meet a star-studded cast, including NFL Hall of Famer Peyton Manning, singer and rapper Post Malone, and UFC CEO Dana White.
This is what Bud’s parent, Anheuser-Busch InBev, gave the company at a cost of millions of dollars for this year’s Super Bowl LVIII between the Kansas City Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers. It is one of three slots (total of 2 and a half minutes). To put it in perspective, his 30 seconds of airtime in 2022 will cost the brand about $7 million.
This is an opportunity for Bud Light to boost sales as it continues to rebuild its reputation following a boycott last year over its partnership with transgender activist Dylan Mulvaney.
Bud Light’s sales for the week ending Jan. 20 were down 29.9% from a year ago, according to the latest numbers provided to FOX Business by Bump Williams Consulting, which analyzed Nielsen IQ data.
During the same period, Modelo Especial, the Mexican lager that overtook Bud Light as the best-selling beer in the U.S. last year, rose to even higher status. Sales for the week ending January 20 were up 10.8% compared to the same period last year.
AB InBev’s market capitalization is $107 billion, down from about $134 billion in March last year.
“This year’s Super Bowl spot continues to put fans front and center by delivering classic Bud Light humor and bringing fans closer to top talent across other fan-centric platforms across sports and music. That’s the focus,” Todd said. Allen, Bud Light’s vice president of marketing, told FOX Business.
“Bud Light and the NFL’s long-standing partnership is one of the most iconic relationships in sports and marketing,” said Allen.
Aside from its series of Super Bowl ads, the company has also announced new partnerships with the UFC and the Olympics in recent months.
FOX Business’ Breck Dumas and Aislinn Murphy contributed to this report.
