Just in time for the World Cup, AB InBev’s new
global effort celebrates the places where many will drink its brands and view the matches: local bars.
The world’s largest beer producer’s new platform, “Cheers to
Bars,” rolls out this month, serving as a “celebration of local bars and their impact on communities all over the world,” according to the brand. AB InBev’s Michelob Ultra and
Budweiser are serving as the official beer sponsors of the World Cup.
The centerpiece of the effort is a new emotional anthem film, seen here, which was produced in partnership with creative agency GUT and “pays tribute to the energy, passion, and human connections that only
bars can create.”
The 1:40 film opens on several still shots of fans watching games at local bars all over the world. A voiceover says, “Have you ever tried to put into words the
feeling of watching football in a bar? Some people say, ‘I love the World Cup.’ But what do you know about love if you've never hugged a stranger after a goal?"
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The film
concludes with “What do you know about the World Cup if you've never watched it at a bar? Bars are where the world comes together. Cheers to bars.”
“During the FIFA World Cup
2026, bars will become the beating heart of every neighborhood – places where strangers become friends, every goal is celebrated as one, and collective memories are created with every raised
glass,” said Michel Doukeris, CEO, AB InBev, in a release. “Beer and football have long been catalysts for bringing people together to create moments of joy and belonging. Nowhere is this
spirit of beer and football more alive than in bars, where they share a special place in culture.”
AB InBev is also hosting 200,000 watch parties across more than 40 countries, as well
as introducing trade programs that “help support and elevate bar owners.” In the U.S., Stella Artois’ “Work From Bar” program will reimburse up to $100,000 for those who
drink Stella Artois 0.0 or Stella Artois while watching weekday World Cup matches from their local bar.