Michelob Ultra, Corona Cero betting big on Team USA, Olympic beer deals

Beer and the Olympics “are bound together like never before” after AB InBev this year became the first beer brand to  sign with the IOC's TOP sponsorship program , according to Mark Giannotto of USA TODAY. AB InBev is “betting big -- perhaps hundreds of millions of dollars” -- on low-calorie and non-alcoholic beers, with an “eye on consumer trends and even more lucrative circumstances” when the Summer Olympics return to L.A. in 2028. Michelob Ultra's 15-second spot, “Brewed Here,” debuted recently “to introduce itself as the exclusive beer sponsor of Team USA this year.” Corona Cero, a non-alcoholic offering launched in Europe two years ago, has been dubbed the “global beer sponsor of the Olympics” in Paris. For Michelob Ultra, the Olympics “provide a platform to showcase its already entrenched and successful marketing strategy built around sports to a broader audience.” This includes countries that “highly regulate or don’t otherwise allow alcohol-rated advertising tied to sporting events,” such as France. Michelob Ultra will promote a collection of “Team ULTRA athletes” representing the U.S. at the 2024 Games, led by Liberty G Sabrina Ionescu, in social media content and “special appearances throughout the Olympics.” There is also “new Olympic-themed packaging,” a watch party scheduled for Rockefeller Center in N.Y. and a presence at the Team USA House in Paris in conjunction with the campaign. A new 30-second ad titled "Home Team," featuring various Team USA athletes competing and celebrating, debuted during the opening ceremony Friday night and will be “featured throughout the Olympics” ( USA TODAY, 7/26 ).