• by Richard Whitman , Columnist, February 14, 2023

With Anheuser-Busch InBev giving up its alcohol exclusivity to the Super Bowl last year, plenty of brands raised their hands to be in this year’s Big Game.

According to ad intelligence company Winmo, alcohol brands made up less than 9% of Super Bowl ads from three brands in 2022 and climbed to 23% from seven brands in 2023.

The brands advertising this year included Bud Light, Busch Light, Michelob Ultra, Remy Martin Cognac, Crown Royal whiskey, Molson Coors, and Heineken. Perennial fan favorite Budweiser opted for another strategy.

“We’re seeing alcohol brands turning their advertising budgets to the Super Bowl for a few reasons,” says Winmo CEO Dave Currie.

Reason number one of course is A-B InBev’s surrendering of its overall category exclusivity. (Sub-category exclusives remain, however. Crown Royal has it for the whiskey category).

Also, says Currie, “alcohol is now competing with cannabis as Americans’ vice of choice as more states turn to legalization.”

Currie also notes that a growing number of consumers-- especially among Millennials and Gen Z — are abstaining from alcohol consumption. That has created a new market for nonalcoholic beverages for brewers and distillers to tap into. This year Heineken was the first advertiser to promote a non-alcoholic beer in the Big Game.

Winmo tracks brand and agency decision-makers who control $100 billion in marketing spend annually.