Bud Light's New Peyton Manning Commercial Feels Like A Hail Mary

Can Peyton Manning save Bud Light?

With sales still plunging and executives continuing to step down, the beer brand that has faced a brutal boycott after its marketing team went into business with biological male transgender huckster Dylan Mulvaney finds itself at yet another crossroads in 2023 as it debuted a Peyton Manning and Emmitt Smith commercial over the weekend.

With sales continuing to plunge, Bud Light has turned to Peyton Manning to bring the brand out of its Dylan Mulvaney boycott blues. / Bud Light

If Peyton Manning, his 69% approval rating amongst sports fans, and his "aww shucks" marketing machine can't turn the tide, there just might not be any hope left for this iconic brand.

In the new commercial, Bud Light's marketing team sends Peyton into a raucous bar to simply order a couple of Bud Lights, but then the icon has an epiphany and he decides to buy a round for the bar.

Bud Lights for everyone!

Is this enough to make you drink Bud Light again?

“In the US, we are listening and actively engaging with our consumers … They want to enjoy their beer without a debate, they want us to focus and concentrate platforms that all consumers love,” AB InBev CEO Michel Doukeris told investors during an August conference call.

Since July 1, Bud Light has partnered with UFC, Dak Prescott, Travis Kelce, George Kittle, college football fans across the south, Emmitt Smith and Peyton Manning. The brand has done everything in its power on Instagram to look like the beer of choice at frat parties and football tailgates. There are smiles. There are good times.

Are those big names with major pull amongst suburbia enough to sway consumers?

Travis Kelce's big campaign that ran in the summer and into the first half of the NFL season sure didn't help. In October, Bud Light reported its dollar sales were down 29% in the four weeks ending October 21 when compared to 2022. Dollar sales for the year are still down 19%.

Doukeris claims the brand is heading in the right direction.

“I don’t think we are at a new normal yet, but we have a good grip on what we need to do and how we are proceeding,” he added in his October call.

Fair enough.

So let's put that to the test. Let's see how people reacted this weekend to the Peyton and Emmitt commercial which clearly cost InBev some serious money.

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