Bud Light goes on offense with NFL campaign, hopes to overcome boycott, stock dip

Anheuser-Busch is looking to the NFL season's kickoff for forward progress toward overcoming offseason difficulties that included a Bud Light boycott.

The beer giant, which reported a 10.5% decline in U.S. sales in its second quarter (April-June 2023), launched what it calls its biggest NFL campaign ever on Thursday.

The "Easy to Sunday" promotion includes new TV and online advertisements set to run during the season, and limited-edition Bud Light cans for 23 NFL teams with team colors, logos and a player illustration. (Note: Not all teams opted into the can deal with Bud Light.)

Cans are hitting stores now. Each can has a QR code that can be scanned for a chance to win one of 2,000 free subscription to NFL Sunday Ticket from YouTube and YouTube TV and e-gift cards for NFL merchandise from Fanatics.

The new commercial features "real fans and their Sunday tradition," the company said in a news release. Those include a Philadelphia Eagles fan who is also a military veteran "who never missed a game when she was deployed, no matter the time of night."   

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An NFL mainstay

Bud Light has been the NFL's official beer sponsor for more than 27 years "and every season we look forward to delighting fans by making their gameday celebrations easier over a Bud Light and America’s most popular sport: football,” company spokesman Todd Allen said in a statement.

Anheuser-Busch says the backlash has stabilized from its March Madness promotion of trans influencer Dylan Mulvaney. After Mulvaney posted a video on Instagram showing a Bud Light can with her likeness and sipping beer, a conservative boycott ensued.

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Subsequently, Bud Light lost its spot as the top-selling U.S. beer and laid off hundreds of employees. Anheuser-Busch InBev revenue in North America fell by 10.5% (volume fell 14%) during the second quarter. The company's stock is down 16% from $66.57 on April 3, two days after Mulvaney's Instagram post and the day Kid Rock posted a video of himself shooting cases of Bud Light.

A comeback?

But the company sees favorable signs for the remainder of the year, CEO Michel Doukeris said during an investor call earlier this month. About 80% of the more than 170,000 consumers surveyed since April gave "favorable or neutral" ratings for the brand, he said.

Consumer feedback has boiled down to three points, Doukeris said.

"One, they want to enjoy their beer without a debate," he said. "Two, they want Bud Light to focus on beer. Three, they want Bud Light to concentrate on the platforms that all consumers love, such as (the) NFL."

Follow Mike Snider on X and Threads: @mikesnider &mikegsnider.

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