Anheuser-Busch unveils its Super Bowl LVII advertising game plan

The beer behemoth will run four Super Bowl ads, taking up three minutes of national airtime and an additional 30 seconds of regional air time, for its leading portfolio brands Bud Light, Budweiser, Michelob Ultra and Busch Light. For all Super Bowl LVII ad coverage, check out The Drum’s ongoing scoreboard here.

“Anheuser-Busch has a long history of delivering big for fans during the Super Bowl and this year is no exception,” Anheuser-Busch’s chief marketing officer Benoit Garbe said in a statement.

“As we’ve been doing for decades, A-B will once again lead the alcohol category with total minutes of in-game creative delivered by our iconic and high-growth brands. Beyond broadcast, we are further investing in omnichannel, digital-first and with local assets that will deliver for fans not only at Super Bowl but throughout the entire football season and every moment in between.”

Many of the spots will feature A-listers. Among them is actor Kevin Bacon, who is confirmed to appear in a Budweiser spot produced by FCB New York and co-directed by Lalou Dammond and Joaquin Baca-Asay.

On Jan. 20, the brand released a teaser to the Budweiser spot, in which, Bacon mysteriously says, “They say all people are six degrees of separation away from each other, but some are just a six-pack away.”

Meanwhile, other celebrities remain a mystery, like the Hollywood star in Bud Light’s ad. The spot, produced by creative agency Anomaly and directed by Trey Edward Shults, will reportedly usher in a new era for the beer and show fans how to make the big game easier to enjoy.

Busch Light will also feature a yet-to-be-named songstress who will join Busch Light’s brand mascot, Busch Guy in various outdoorsy antics in the rugged wilderness. The spot, produced by The Martin Agency and directed by Kitao Sakurai, will introduce a new campaign for the light lager called ‘The Busch guide’ to teach its nature-loving fans essential survival skills.

Michelob Ultra will also return to the Super Bowl in two television commercials developed by Weiden+Kennedy and directed by Rachel Morrison. The campaign will feature superstar athlete Serena Williams and Succession’s Brian Cox. Anheuser-Busch recently released a trio of teasers for Michelob Ultra’s campaign, which seem to recreate scenes from the 1980 golf comedy Caddyshack with Tony Romo.

On Jan. 20, the brand unveiled a teaser to the spot, below:

The spots will be supported by campaigns that extend for the full year, featuring digital and social plans, local out-of-home activations, e-commerce integrations and in-store displays.

The news comes as Anheuser-Busch renewed its multi-year NFL sponsorship, partnerships with 26 NFL teams and endorsement deals with over 27 current players. However, the brewer did not renew its exclusive rights to the event, so viewers can expect appearances from competitor brands like Heineken and Crown Royal.

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