FCB Named to Handle Bud Light Lime's New Summer Push

Interpublic's FCB has picked up a new summer campaign for Bud Light Lime, adding to its Anheuser-Busch InBev business, a spokeswoman for A-B InBev confirmed. The move comes less than three months after the agency's Chicago and Toronto offices won Michelob Ultra, a growing brand in the A-B InBev portfolio, from Palm & Havas. Omnicom's BBDO has been handling Bud Light, Bud Light Lime and its Bud Light Ritas extensions, a line of fruity, margarita-inspired flavored malt beverages, via its Chicago and New York offices. BBDO will continue handling Bud Light, Platinum and the Bud Light Ritas franchise. At this point it appears FCB's Lime win is on a project basis. FCB's work is expected to begin airing at the end of April and run through the summer, the time of year that Bud Light Lime is typically promoted. FCB and BBDO declined to comment. For FCB Chicago, the assignment comes a month after it parted ways with Yum brands' KFC, which had been one of its largest creative accounts. Bud Light Lime has been battling declining sales, reporting sales down 5.4% to $274.7 million in the 52 weeks ending Jan. 25, according to IRI, which does not include bar sales. Over time, however, Bud Light Lime has also been getting less and less marketing support, according to Kantar Media. In 2012, the brand spent close to $20 million on U.S. measured media. That number dropped significantly in 2013, with the Bud Light Lime only getting about $6 million of measured-media support. In 2014, the total was about $4.8 million. Contributing: E.J.Schultz

FCB Named to Handle Bud Light Lime's New Summer Push

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