Bud Light banks on Super Bowl to launch a comeback after disastrous sales year: Beleaguered beer brand will air 60 second commercial – at a cost of up to $14 million

• Bud Light released a teaser preview of its Super Bowl LVIII ad which it said will introduce a new character to its universe
• The company has been trying to distance itself from the backlash over its partnership with transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney
• In the first two weeks of 2024 Bud Light accounted for just 7.4 percent of retail-store beer sales, down 28.9 percent from the year before 

Bud Light is staging a comeback with the launch of a flashy new Super Bowl LVIII ad after the beleaguered brand suffered huge sales losses in the wake of its disastrous marking campaign with Dylan Mulvaney. 

The beer brand, who is the official beer sponsor of the NFL, released a teaser of the commercial on Thursday which it said will expand its ‘Easy to Drink, Easy to Enjoy’ platform.

‘The brand is back with a humorous spot introducing a new character to the Bud Light universe and some familiar faces from the platforms the brand has been passionate about for years,’ said Bud Light parent company Anheuser-Busch.

Based on last year’s Super Bowl advertising rates, the 60 second commercial could cost as much as $14 million. 

The 12-second long preview starts with a close up on a quilted Bud Light jacket and a man with a mustache wearing sunglasses as Steppenwolf’s Magic Carpet Ride plays in the background.

A white flash then appears on screen and the ad cuts to a man wearing a number 18 Denver Broncos jersey – the same as Peyton Manning’s when he played on the team – who said, ‘Are you?’ 

The screen jumps to the Super Bowl LVIII logo then the Bud Light logo as a person heard in the background yelling ‘Let’s go.’

‘The Super Bowl is advertising’s biggest moment, and our goal is to once again captivate our audience when the world is watching,’ said Kyle Norrington, Chief Commercial Officer, Anheuser-Busch.

‘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.’

For nearly five decades Anheuser-Busch has been producing Super Bowl commercials. According to The Wall Street Journal, the Bud Light ad will run for 60 seconds, and Anheuser-Busch will also run a 60-second Michelob Ultra commercial starring Lionel Messi, as well as a 30-second Budweiser spot.

In November, CBS had reportedly ‘virtually sold out’ of its advertising inventory for Super Bowl LVIII, which is remarkable considering ads cost as much as $7 million for a 30-second spot.

Previously it was reported that as much as 70 percent of ad inventory was already sold before training camps opened.

Anheuser-Busch will also be on the ground in Las Vegas, bring the iconic Budweiser Clydesdales to Sin City.

Bud Light is hosting a concert with country singer Zach Bryan in Las Vegas on February 9 to kick off Super Bowl weekend.

Sales of Bud Light suffered in 2023, largely due to a boycott of the beer following a partnership with transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney.

In the first two weeks of 2024 Bud Light accounted for just 7.4 percent of retail-store beer sales, down 28.9 percent from the year before, according to NIQ data analyzed by consulting firm Bump Williams and cited by The Wall Street Journal.

In the controversial promotion, Mulvaney posted a video on April 1 of herself cracking open a Bud Light on her Instagram page.

She showed off the customized can with her face on it – one of many corporate freebies she got and promoted to her millions of followers.

Bud Light was accused of alienating its traditional customer base by partnering with Mulvaney, which led many conservatives – including Kid Rock – to boycott the brand.

The backlash led to plummeting sales and Modelo Especial take over as America’s number one beer brand. 

Anheuser-Busch lost $390 million in second quarter sales compared to the year before.

By December, sales of the beer had still not recovered, despite the company teaming up with NFL stars in a marketing campaign in an attempt to boost sales.

In the four weeks ending December 9, Bud Light’s retail-store sales were down 28 percent compared with the same period in 2022.

Bud Light teamed up with NFL legends Peyton Manning and Emmitt Smith for a commercial that has been played leading up to the 2024 Super Bowl.

Last year, Top Gun: Maverick star Miles Teller and his model wife Keleigh Sperry showed off their dance moves and gave a peek into their home life in the Bud Light Super Bowl commercial.