A-B InBev's Bon & Viv brand is now the official hard seltzer of the NFLA-B INBEV
NFL corporate sponsors are finalizing activation plans with the season now just a week away. Beginning with next Thursday’s Packers-Bears season opener at Soldier Field, 37 corporate sponsors will be activating in support of 50 brands. Those brands will combine for a total of 64 football themed TV spots, an increase of 35 additional spots, NFL Senior VP/Sponsorship Management Tracie Rodburg said. There will also be more than 109 digital spots from NFL sponsors (17 from A-B InBev alone), and the TV and digital ads will employ more than 100 active and retired NFLers. A-B, one of the NFL’s most active sponsors, is expanding its NFL portfolio with its Bon & Viv brand (now the league’s official hard seltzer) in the rapidly expanding spiked seltzer category. A-B Head of U.S. Marketing Nick Kelly said his company is selling Bon & Viv at many of the 28 team venues where it has sponsorships, creating team themed cocktails using Bon & Viv, and leveraging those with on premise events. LED signage and sampling opportunities will support the sponsorship at NFL stadiums. “In spiked seltzer, we are a challenger brand (behind Mike’s Hard Lemonade, White Claw and Boston Beer’s Truly brand), so this is all about driving trial,’’ Kelly said. A-B will also be using its newfound group player rights to support Bud Light across the country with groups of players in point-of-sale and out-of-home advertising.
ELSEWHERE AROUND THE NFL: Many other sponsors are activating around the NFL’s kickoff.
- Campbell’s will continue its “Mama’s Boy” campaign, with TV ads including Giants RB Saquon Barkley and his mother; and others with Cowboys QB Dak Prescott and his brothers.
- Visa will debut an NFL 100 themed ad about generational fandom.
- Verizon will rely on the power of the NFL to help with its 5G rollout, with activations in 12 stadiums.
- New sponsor Lowe’s has two national TV ads and will sell some NFL licensed products in store and online.
- Gatorade, the league’s oldest corporate sponsor, has spots with Rams RB Todd Gurley and Texans DE J.J. Watt planned.
- P&G is using the NFL to push its Tide, Gillette, Old Spice and Head & Shoulders brands; former NFLer Troy Polamalu and Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes, who ranked as the NFL's second most marketable player, have filmed a spot for the shampoo.
- Many sponsors will support the NFL’s 100th season platform, including Courtyard by Marriott, Campbell’s, Pepsi, A-B and other consumer packaged goods sponsors.
