Is it an ad for your local health club … or a beer? Michelob Ultra will continue its fitness-themed campaign in the Super Bowl with a spot that includes a lot more cycling and running than drinking. The low-calorie brew does not appear until the very end, when all the sweating is over.
The Anheuser-Busch InBev brand seeks to link social drinking and working out via the soundtrack: The theme song from the classic TV show "Cheers." The agency is FCB Chicago, which was behind a similar athletic-themed spot for the brand that aired in last year's Super Bowl called "Breathe."
This year's ad is called "Our Bar." An extended cut (above) will be trimmed to 30 seconds for the in-game airing. The spot uses "real fitness enthusiasts -- not actors -- doing what they do day-in and day-out: going through a tough workout together and sharing cold beers afterwards to celebrate," Ultra stated in a press release.
"We recognized that the social lives and beer-drinking occasions of the Michelob Ultra consumer extend beyond gathering at the bar or at home with friends," Azania Andrews, VP-Michelob Ultra, stated in the press release. "Communities forming around fitness activities represent a new type of socializing. 'Our Bar' emphasizes that beer is a part of this new world, grounded in celebrating accomplishments."
With Friday morning's release of the ad, AB InBev has now made public all four of its Super Bowl ads, including spots for Budweiser, Bud Light and Busch.