Tom Brady, Bill Belichick, and the New England Patriots are credited with the greatest Super Bowl comeback in history. As Americans gear up for Super Bowl LVIII, one party is looking to stage a comeback of its own: Bud Light.
Bud Light’s return to the Super Bowl follows its social media promotion with transgender TikTok star Dylan Mulvaney.
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“This month I celebrated my day 365 of womanhood, and Bud Light sent me possibly the best gift ever, a can with my face on it,” Mulvaney said in an April 2023 post on Instagram.
The March-Madness-themed post sent America’s best-selling beer down the drain as a conservative-led boycott crushed Bud Light sales like a partier stepping on an aluminum can.
“F* Bud Light, and f* Anheuser-Busch. Have a terrific day,” Kid Rock said in a video of him shooting at cans of Bud Light posted on “X.”
The swift backlash had staying power; videos similar to Kid Rock’s took over social media, and Bud Light soon toppled from its top spot, beaten out by Modelo Especial. Bud Light’s parent company, Anheuser-Busch, saw revenue drop by 13.5% over several months.
Nearly a year later, Bud Light hopes to turn things around during Super Bowl LVIII, bringing back “fan-favorite characters” and a new face in a humorous spot that’s more on brand with past marketing.
Anheuser-Busch is investing in two-and-a-half minutes of airtime across its brands, including 60 seconds on Bud Light alone, acknowledging the Super Bowl is advertising’s biggest moment and Bud Light’s big chance to captivate football fans.
“The Super Bowl is advertising’s biggest moment, and our goal is to once again captivate our audience when the world is watching,” A-B Chief Commercial Officer Kyle Norrington said. “We’re showing up big time in this moment that matters for our beer drinkers and football fans across the country through unmatched creative storytelling, seamless trade integrations, record-breaking consumer sweeps, robust media plans, and on-the-ground activations.”
Putting on a show for estimates of more than 100 million viewers costs a pretty penny; according to AdAge, a 30-second spot during this year’s Super Bowl costs $7 million.
