ST. LOUIS — Anheuser-Busch InBev is hoping its trio of Super Bowl commercials will win back drinkers who have sworn off Bud Light after the brand’s work with a transgender influencer sparked a boycott and tanked sales.
It’s a marketing move experts say won’t work immediately but could set the stage for a comeback.
The company announced that it will air three different commercials on Feb. 11 during the Super Bowl broadcast. Teasers for the ad spots show soccer star Lionel Messi ordering a Michelob Ultra at a sandy shack with friends, Budweiser’s iconic Clydesdales galloping in the snow and football fans enjoying bottles of Bud Light. Additionally, in Budweiser’s “Old School Delivery” Super Bowl ad, viewers will see Anheuser-Busch’s iconic St. Louis brewery.
“It’s a process. I doubt that there’s a Super Bowl ad and sales are back in March — but it sets the tone,” said Raphael Thomadsen, a marketing professor at Washington University. “It’s repairable. Memory is short in a corporate sense, so there’s always a chance to build that brand. Younger adults tend to drink more beer, so as time goes on, they’ll have more and more people they can (attract) and win back.”
Last April, Anheuser-Busch InBev sent a personalized can of Bud Light to transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney in a marketing campaign. The move prompted some consumers, including celebrities like Kid Rock, to call for a boycott of Bud Light. Sales plummeted, and over the summer Modelo Especial dethroned Bud Light for the first time in over two decades as the bestselling beer in America.
A few Super Bowl ads won’t solve the company’s problems with decreased sales and disgruntled drinkers, Thomadsen said. It will take some time to regain consumers, he said, as many have likely developed new habits and tastes.
Thomadsen said this year’s Super Bowl ads are part of the company’s strategy to unify its drinkers and…
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