Current Campaign Assignment Fact Sheet / Com 377

Jess Konstantelos & Josephine Starwalt

Bud Light Super Bowl Ad

Who:​ Bud Light

What: ​Bud Light attacks Miller Lite and Coors Light in Super Bowl ads
Where​: Across the United States
When​: During Super Bowl LIIII, February 3, 2019
Why: ​The ad was created to criticize Bud Light’s competition, Miller Lite and Coors Light, for using corn syrup in
their product.

The Bud Light Super Bowl campaign calls into question if a company’s marketing should draw attention
to rival brands or is that just giving them free publicity? The campaign showcases the issue of navigating
the new world of social media, which can start with paid media, spill over into shared/social, continue
through earned coverage, and utilize our own media channels as a space to make our own case (Barrett,
2019).

Reaction to crisis:
The VP of communication for the National Corn Growers Association, Neil Caskey, pushed back on
twitter immediately after the ad played saying
“​@BudLight​ America’s corn farmers are
disappointed in you. Our office is right down the
road! We would love to discuss with you the many
benefits of corn! Thanks​ ​@MillerLight​ and
@CoorsLite​ for supporting our industry” (Bradley,
2019). ​The controversy increased as the week
continued with MillerCoors taking out a full-page ad
in the New York Times and Bud Light responding by
calling out the rival brewer’s chief public affairs and
communications officer Pete Marino on social media
and telling him “to stop stalking them” (Bradley,
2019). ​Miller Lite’s print ad in the ​New York Times ​(Bradley, 2019)​.

Background information:
Introduced in 1982 as a Budweiser Light. Bud Light is brewed with only hops, barley, water, and rice and
the company claims that the style is so clean and clear that any imperfection can come through (Rense,
2019). Bud Light is the largest beer brand in the U.S., but it has been in a steady decline. Its shipments
fell 6.7% last year, its largest annual percentage decline on record (Schultz, 2019).

Prior campaigns & situations impacting Bud Light:

Miller Lite has been consistently attacking Bud Light by name since 2016, when it began claiming it has
“more taste and half carbs” than its larger competitor (Schultz, 2019). Bud Light’s Super Bowl ads come
after the brew began putting ingredient labels on its packaging that closely resemble the Food and Drug
Administration-mandated labels of packaged foods. Bud Light VP Andy Goeler said “as the lead brand in
the industry this is something that’s good for beer. It’s good for us, the lead brand, to make a bold move
like this. Bringing ingredient transparency we think is elevating the standards… here is what is in our
beer, in Bud Light, and here is what is not in Bud Light” (Schultz, 2019).
 Current Campaign Assignment Fact Sheet / Com 377
Jess Konstantelos & Josephine Starwalt
Bud Light Super Bowl Ad

References

Barrett, S. (2019, February 9). Ye olde corntroversy is a complex brew. Retrieved February 10,
2019, from ​https://www.prweek.com/article/1​525310/ye-olde-corntroversy -complex-
brew

Bradley, D. (2019, February 7). Beer banter: Bud Light calls out MillerCoors comms head in
tweet. Retrieved February 10, 2019, from ​https://www.prweek.com/article/
1525210/beer-banter-bud-light-calls-millercoors-comms-head-tweet

Rense, S. (2019, January 17). Bud Light Is the First Big Beer to Have Massive Nutrition Labels.
You'd Better Get Used to It. Retrieved February 10, 2019, from ​https://www.esquire.com
/food-drink/drinks/a25908689/bud-light-nutrition-ingredient-labels/

Schultz, E. (2019, February 03). Bud Light attacks Miller Lite, Coors Light in Super Bowl ads.
Retrieved February 10, 2019, from ​https://adage.com/article/special-
report-super-bowl/bud-light-attacks-miller-lite-coors-light-super-bowl-ads/316508/