AB InBev Named First Global Olympic Beer Sponsor

Anheuser-Busch InBev signed on as the first global beer sponsor of the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games through 2028. However, there's a plot twist: Corona Cero 0.0% beer will be the breakout star. The alcohol-free brew will be the official beer of the Summer Olympics in Paris, joining Coca-Cola, Toyota, Airbnb and others as the International Olympic Committee's top-tier exclusive sponsors. The partnership will give AB InBev the chance to reach the 4 billion people expected to tune into 2024 Olympic broadcasts around the world, as well as the 15.3 million visitors planning to visit Paris and its surrounding areas come July. In a statement, the IOC and AB InBev said the partnership demonstrated a joint commitment to responsible alcohol consumption. It will also help AB InBev boost sales of its no-alcohol beer range, which drove double-digit incremental growth for the drinks giant in 2022. AB InBev chief marketing officer Marcel Marcondes said: "As we continue to invest to grow the category, we are excited to bring our beer brands to the Olympics and be a worldwide partner for these amazing events." He added: "Corona is one of our fastest-growing global brands, reaching consumers across 180 countries, and, through this partnership, we expect Corona Cero to accelerate no-alcohol beer growth and highlight moderation." At a press event in London Friday, Marcondes confirmed that the marketing messaging would be focused on connection, moderation and celebration under the banner of "Golden Moments." He also said the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games, due to be hosted in in Los Angeles, would be sponsored by low-alcohol alternative Michelob Ultra. From Cero to hero In major markets including the U.K., the U.S., France and Brazil, sales of no- and lower alcohol beverages are set to grow by 31% in volume by 2024, according to analysts at IWSR. AB InBev has joined brewers including Diageo and Heineken in marketing no-alcohol beer and stout heavily over the past 12 months. Now, it will get the chance to do so on the world stage. Corona Cero landed on shelves in 2022, promoted as a 0% product made with all natural ingredients. AB InBev CEO Michel Doukeris said: “This partnership illustrates the opportunity for our category to positively impact and engage with billions of fans around the world, ushering in a new era of Olympic spirit as we cheer for our favorite national teams and athletes as they go for gold. We look forward to activating at the 2024, 2026 and 2028 Games.” Budweiser previously sponsored the U.S. Olympic team. However it ended that 32-year run in 2017. The company already has some experience bringing its 0% variants to a major sporting event. During the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, AB InBev was forced to rethink on-the-ground activations and replace Budweiser with Budweiser Zero after government officials U-turned the sale of alcohol within stadium perimeters. The latest deal will also cover the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan. A global plan Zoning in on Corona Cero for the Paris Summer Olympics will also help AB InBev ensure that it is complying with strict alcohol advertising rules in France. “Loi Evin” (or "Evin's Law") prohibits beer and spirit brands from advertising on TV, at cultural or sporting events or in untargeted media spaces. AB InBev US CMO Exits With No Successor as Bud Light Boycott Bites When it comes to broadcast, leading with a 0% beer will make it easier for AB InBev to conduct its sponsorship and branding placement in line with rules in countries including India and Norway, which have similarly tight protocol. Vicky Chew, managing partner at sports and entertainment marketing agency Fuse, said leading with a no-alcohol product was a "tactical" move from AB InBev; allowing it to showcase responsible drinking and a product more suited to the sporting landscape while protecting commercial interests. She continued: "By taking over both categories, AB InBev is ensuring its brand territory is protected with the deal and other competitors can’t enter the fray. It also helps further promote AB InBev’s ‘Smart Drinking’ strategy which has seen it increasingly invest in no and low alcohol brands across Europe in 2022." She said in the future, we could see more brewing businesses adapting to associate themselves with sport, through their "no or low" brands, pointing to Seedlip's recently announced global partnership with Mercedes' AMG Petronas F1 Team. AB InBev's deal follows a tumultuous 12 months for one of its most famous brands, Bud Light. In 2023, the beer was knocked off its spot as America's bestselling bottle following a backlash from conservatives over a social media promotion with transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney and a resulting boycott from LGBTQ+ communities and their allies. At the end of 2023, Bud Light signed a multiyear sponsorship deal with the UFC.

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AB InBev Named First Global Olympic Beer Sponsor, With a Twist

Corona Cero 0.0% will be the official beer of the Paris Summer Games

Rebecca Stewart

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Rebecca Stewart