Bud Light hires Anomaly for flagship beer creative account, Martin Agency takes line extensions

Bud Light has hired Anomaly as its creative agency of record for its beer account, while The Martin Agency has won line extensions including Bud Light Seltzer and zero-calorie Bud Light Next, according to multiple people familiar with the matter. Anheuser-Busch InBev made the decision following a review that began in June and was whittled down to three agencies in July. Johannes Leonardo was a finalist in the review for Bud Light beer. Subscribe to Ad Age Sign up now for the latest industry news and analysis Click here All the agencies involved declined to comment. Anheuser-Busch InBev did not immediately respond for comment. AB InBev spent $127 million on U.S. measured media for Bud Light in 2021, a 2.4% decline from $130 million in 2020, according to Kantar. That spending included line extensions such as Chelada and seltzer. Wieden+Kennedy previously handled the business out of its New York office since 2015 and will continue to work on Budweiser global, Michelob Ultra, Corona, Nutrl vodka seltzer and the AB InBev corporate brand. The agency move marks the latest significant change for Bud Light and its parent company. In mid-June, AB InBev announced it was giving up its exclusive Super Bowl ad rights in the alcohol category, a distinction the world's largest brewer held for 33 years. As a result, Molson Coors said it would run an ad during the Super Bowl in 2023. Anomaly has deep ties to AB InBev, having for years served as lead agency for Budweiser both in the U.S. and globally, including a series of high-profile Super Bowl ads. However, in recent years Budweiser moved to more of a roster approach in the U.S. and Wieden+Kennedy took over much of Budweiser globally. But Anomaly has continued to work with AB InBev in Canada. With the Bud Light account, Anomaly will gain the nation’s largest beer brand by market share, but also one beset with challenges. The brew has been stuck in a prolonged sales slump. Still, it is seeking to reclaim momentum under a new leadership team that includes Alissa Heinerscheid, who has the role of marketing VP for the main brand (known internally as Bud Light Blue), and Steve Wolf, who is marketing VP overseeing Bud Light brand extensions. The new agency approach marks one of the first big moves under Benoit Garbe, who was named the brewer’s U.S. chief marketing officer in late 2021. Among the key decisions on the horizon: Should the brewer keep pouring significant marketing money behind Bud Light, or should it continue to shift more resources to growing brands, such as Michelob Ultra? The answer to that question will influence how much the brewer invests in major events such as the Super Bowl.

Bud Light hires Anomaly for flagship beer creative account, Martin Agency takes line extensions

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