• by Teresa Buyikian , 4 hours ago

Jim Beam’s latest campaign taps an American soccer pro just ahead of the FIFA World Cup kicking off in June.

The brand, which is the official spirits partner of the U.S. Soccer Federation (USSF) this week rolls out “Home Field Advantage,” a new campaign staring the retired player Tim Howard. With the nickname "Secretary of Defense," Howard is considered  one of the greatest American players of all time.

The centerpiece of the campaign is a new :30 ad, seen here, which highlights the “places where fans gather to watch, cheer, and celebrate.”  The spot open on a groundskeeper riding a power mower filled with bottles of Jim Beam across a soccer field.

“This tournament may be fought on the pitch, but it will be won at backyard BBQs,” he says as he crashes through a fence arriving at a BBQ where he comments that one of the attendees looks like Howard (who responds, “I am Tim Howard”). The spot cuts to the mower riding through a lively office watching the World Cup, and then cuts again to a bar with the game on TVs.

“In the offices that clear out at kickoff, in the dive bars that smell like winning, because we have home field advantage. And that’s anywhere that fans are,” the power mower rider concludes.

“We've always believed in the power of shared moments,” said Regan Clarke, vice president of American Whiskey, Suntory Global Spirits, in a statement. “The world's biggest tournament is a global stage, but it's the local gatherings that create real home field advantages,” with the brand aiming to “unite in spirit with fans across the country as they come together to support the U.S. Men's National Team.”

The campaign will air on select cable channels, as well as on YouTube TV, Roku, Netflix, ESPN+, Peacock, Meta and Reddit.

The effort extends to digital, social and experiential platforms, and will also include IRL consumer activations.

Continuing the World Cup celebration, the brand has also released a limited edition Jim Beam x USSF bottle design, now available nationwide.