Bud Light's genie-themed Super Bowl ad shows humor, sports and music are key to its comeback strategy

Determined to recapture lapsed fans and overcome a steep sales slide, Bud Light returns to the high-energy humor of its Super Bowl past with “Easy Night Out.” The 60-second spot from Anomaly introduces the Bud Light Genie (played by actor Sonny Valicenti), who emerges from a bottle to grant wishes to a group of friends. These lead to a series of magic surprises—heavy-metal hair, massive biceps, a Delorean stretch limo ride to a nightclub—and appearances by Peyton Manning, Post Malone and UFC CEO Dana White. Veteran Super Bowl ad director Craig Gillespie directs. The ad will air during the third quarter. The ad ends with the genie about to blink the cast to the Super Bowl—leaving open the possibility they will be at the Super Bowl in Las Vegas when the CBS broadcast resumes. Asked about a possible live broadcast integration for Bud Light, an NFL sponsor, a brand representative stated, “we’re ending the spot in a special way during the broadcast. Viewers can tune in to see what else the Bud Light Genie has in store.” While the ad casts Bud Light as a portal to unique experiences, the brand has a wish of its own: it’s trying to recover from a promotion with transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney last April that triggered a conservative boycott and led to a 20% decline in sales for the year, according to NielsenIQ figures reported by Beer Marketer’s Insights. Read more: 5 ways Bud Light changed beer marketing in 2023 Bud Light’s plan to win back lapsed consumers involves leaning into mega platforms including the NFL, college football, music and a newly created UFC partnership. These are passion points for Bud Light fans, Todd Allen, VP of marketing for Bud Light, said in an email. Super Bowl commercials Tracking the latest brand and agency plans Enter here “We talk to consumers every single day because we put fans at the center of everything Bud Light does,” Allen said. “Our aim is to meet fans in the places and moments they’re most passionate about across our longstanding focus areas, such as the NFL, UFC, college sports, and music.” Bud Light’s association with the Super Bowl is “one of the most iconic relationships in sports and marketing, and our greatest unlock to bringing fans closer to the experiences they love,” Allen added. Throwback trend At this time last year, Bud Light was breaking a new look and feel for its marketing with the idea of recruiting outside of its traditional realm of young legal-drinking-age men. Its 2023 Super Bowl ad, “Hold,” featured no belly laughs or over-the-top characters but instead, a celebrity couple, Miles Teller and Kayleigh Sperry, dancing to soft music in their living room. The abrupt change of tone continues something of a throwback trend among beer marketers this Super Bowl. Coors Light is reviving its “Chill Train” after more than a dozen years in the station. And Bud Light’s Anheuser-Busch InBev sister brand Budweiser is returning to a Clydesdale-yellow lab combination that could conceivably be the very same cast as used in a 2014 Super Bowl ad. “Easy Night Out” returns Bud Light to familiar storylines—an over-the-top character, not unlike the Bud Light Knight, and a barroom setting. “This spot is full of the classic Bud Light creative our fans know and love, placing humor at the center of relatable, and not so relatable, moments for our fans,” Allen said. “The premise is simple and grounded in a universal truth: A night out with friends should always be easy.” The Bud Light Genie is a “representation of the easy enjoyment Bud Light delivers,” Allen added, and will be working long after the Super Bowl is over. The character will grant “easy wishes” through Facebook Messenger throughout the year, “unlocking epic experiences and providing unparalleled access to the moments our fans care most about,” Allen said. These include trips and tickets to NFL, UFC and college football events. The brand is also kicking off the second year of its country music Bud Light Backyard tour in Las Vegas this week with Zach Bryan and Leon Bridges. The tour will be a part of festival lineups including Stagecoach, CMA Fest and Lollapalooza. In addition to Bud Light and Budweiser, AB InBev is also running a Super Bowl ad for Michelob Ultra. Ultra’s ad, which stars Lionel Messi, emphasizes its association with soccer including an upcoming sponsorship of Copa America.

Bud Light's genie-themed Super Bowl ad shows humor, sports and music are key to its comeback strategy

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