• by Erik Oster , January 25, 2024

Anheuser-Busch announced it is running ads for its flagship Budweiser and Bud Light brands, as well as Michelob Ultra, in the upcoming Super Bowl.

That’s not really a surprise, since AB InBev has been advertising in the Super Bowl for nearly half a century.

The decision to advertise for three of its brands individually and commit to a total of two and a half minutes of ad space does represent quite a significant investment, making it the biggest Super Bowl advertiser within its category.

It’s also not limiting the campaigns to national broadcast ads, but will include local media campaigns across general market and Spanish language broadcasts, OOH elements and in-stadium activations. 

Each of the brands shared information about the upcoming ads and released teasers hinting at the direction of the full spots.

Across the three brands, AB InBev is employing a mix of the familiar and the new.

Flagship Budweiser seems to be focused on the former approach. The brand will be bringing back its iconic Clydesdales for an ad it describes as “rooted in the scenes, storylines, and on-screen magic that shaped the brand’s legacy,” while sharing a “timeless message of resilience, determination, and coming together over a beer.” The brand doesn’t hold its horses in a teaser entitled simply “The Clydesdales Are Back.” Budweiser’s spokeshorses will also play what the brand described a “pivotal role” in representing the brand on the ground in Las Vegas during Super Bowl weekend.

Bud Light will aim for laughs with Super Bowl audiences, while employing a mix of the new and the nostalgic in an ad continuing its “Easy To Drink, Easy To Enjoy” platform. The brand said it will introduce "a new character to the Bud Light universe” alongside “some familiar faces from the platforms the brand has been passionate about for years.” A teaser plays up the surprise factor, showing an astonished looking fan saying “Are you”…” Country music star Zach Bryan will also headline an event kicking off the 2024 Bud Light Backyard Tour.

The company also confirmed that Michelob Ultra will be appearing in the Super Bowl, with an ad featuring global soccer superstar Lionel Messi -- along with the feature the type of canine content we can all get behind, with its teaser “GOAT vs. Dog," along with “Stand Off.” Focusing on the beer as part of “active living” lifestyles, the campaign will also include partnerships with unspecified “social athletes” celebrating moments where their active lives and social lives come together. Michelob Ultra is also partnering with TopGolf to host a “Michelob Ultra Country Club” event on Feb. 10.