For the first time since 1983, when Anheuser-Busch used all of its ad time to introduce a beer called Bud Light, the beer giant isnB次元官网网址檛 advertising its iconic Budweiser brand during the Super Bowl. Instead, itB次元官网网址檚 donating the money it would have spent on the ad to coronavirus vaccination awareness efforts.

Anheuser-Busch still has four minutes of advertising during the game for its other brands including Bud Light, Bud Light Seltzer Lemonade, Michelob Ultra and Michelob Ultra Organic Seltzer. Those are some of its hottest sellers, particularly among younger viewers.

But the decision to not do an anthemic Budweiser ad B次元官网网址� which over nearly four decades has made American icons of frogs chirping B次元官网网址淏udweiser,B次元官网网址� guys screaming B次元官网网址淲hassup!B次元官网网址�, and of course the Budweiser Clydesdales B次元官网网址� showcases the caution with which some advertisers are approaching the first COVID-era Super Bowl.

B次元官网网址淲e have a pandemic that is casting a pall over just about everything,B次元官网网址� said Paul Argenti, Dartmouth College professor of corporate communication. B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 hard to feel the exuberance and excitement people normally would.B次元官网网址�

The Anheuser-Busch move follows a similar announcement from PepsiCo., which wonB次元官网网址檛 advertising its biggest brand, Pepsi, in order to focus on its sponsorship of the the halftime show. (It will be advertising Mountain Dew and Frito-Lay products). Other veteran Super Bowl advertisers like Coke, Audi and Avocados from Mexico are sitting out the game altogether.

These big-brand absences are just one more way Super Bowl LV will look very different from previous years. Attendance at the game will be limited to 22,000 people, about a third of the more than 65,890 capacity of Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida. And Super Bowl parties will be more likely to be smaller affairs with pods or families.

B次元官网网址淚 think the advertisers are correctly picking up on this being a riskier year for the Super Bowl,B次元官网网址� said Charles Taylor, marketing professor at Villanova University. B次元官网网址淲ith COVID and economic uncertainty, people arenB次元官网网址檛 necessarily in the best mood to begin with. ThereB次元官网网址檚 a risk associated with messages that are potentially too light. B次元官网网址� At the same time, thereB次元官网网址檚 risk associated with doing anything too sombre.B次元官网网址�

The pandemic has cut sharply into sales for many Super Bowl advertisers. With pricey ads costing an estimated $5.5 million for 30 seconds during the Feb. 7 broadcast on CBS, some may have decided itB次元官网网址檚 not worth it this year. Coca-Cola, for example, has been hard hit since half of its sales come from stadiums, movie theatres and other usually crowded places that have been closed during the pandemic. It announced layoffs in December, and said it said it wouldnB次元官网网址檛 advertise this year to ensure itB次元官网网址檚 B次元官网网址渋nvesting in the right resources during these unprecedented times.B次元官网网址�

To fill the void, newcomers like the TikTok rival Triller, online freelance marketplace Fiverr and online car seller Vroom are rushing in to take their place. Returning brands include M&MB次元官网网址檚, Pringles, Toyota and others.

Companies that are running ads this year face a number of challenges. Super Bowl ads are usually developed months in advance and shot in the fall, meaning that ads airing in two weeks were shot under costly pandemic conditions and without any idea how the presidential election would turn out. That further complicates the already delicate process of striking a tone that acknowledges whatB次元官网网址檚 happening with the world, managing to either entertain or tug at viewer heartstrings, and finding a way to tie it all back to their brand.

B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 a tough year to do an ad,B次元官网网址� Argenti said. B次元官网网址淚t will be a good year for creative companies who figure out how to thread that needle.B次元官网网址�

Monica Rustgi, BudweiserB次元官网网址檚 vice-president of marketing, said the brand is still calculating how much it will spend on vaccine awareness. But she said it will be a B次元官网网址渕ulti-million dollarB次元官网网址� commitment that includes donating airtime throughout this year for the non-profit the Ad Council and COVID CollaborativeB次元官网网址檚 COVID-19 Vaccine Education Initiative.

Budweiser will still have a marketing presence around the big game. Starting Monday, the brand will air an ad that celebrates resilience during the pandemic, including a socially distanced birthday parade and athletes in Black Lives Matter jerseys. The ad, narrated by actress and director Rashida Jones, ends with health care workers getting vaccinated and talks about BudweiserB次元官网网址檚 donation.

In the era of social media and digital advertising, brands arenB次元官网网址檛 limited to running ads during one event, since consumers can see them online, everywhere from Facebook and Twitter to YouTube, BudweiserB次元官网网址檚 Rustgi said. BudweiserB次元官网网址檚 Super Bowl step-back also wonB次元官网网址檛 be long-term, she said.

B次元官网网址淭he Super Bowl is the most popular sports event, aside from the World Cup, that anybody is going to see,B次元官网网址� added DartmouthB次元官网网址檚 Argenti. B次元官网网址淎n event that draws that many people to the advertising is never going to go away.B次元官网网址�

Mae Anderson And Dee-Ann Durbin, The Associated Press

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