Bud Light has chosen Anomaly as the creative agency for its core Bud Light Blue business. The Martin Agency will also manage its broader family of brands, including its hard seltzer.  

The Wieden+Kennedy agency has been working with the Anheuser-Busch InBev label since 2015. In June, InBev put their account under evaluation, but  Wieden + Kennedy declined to re-pitch. However, the agency has continued working with other brands under the AB InBev umbrella, such as Michelob Ultra.

Bud Light’s agency shift comes as the light beer maker turns 40. and after the renewal of its long-standing alliance with the NFL. Additionally, Bud Light is currently focused on growing its sports and gaming sponsorships, which may require different creative thinking. 

The need for agency change to Anomaly

Bud Light is undergoing significant creative changes as the marketer adapts to changing customer preferences and a changing media landscape. Since the reviews began earlier this summer, the search for a new agency for the AB InBev brand has drawn considerable attention. The incumbent Wieden + Kennedy choosing not to bid to keep the business.

Timing and its impact

The change in agency comes as Bud Light marks a significant anniversary and seeks to solidify a position in emerging channels like gaming and esports. Additionally, AB InBev has taken some actions that might alter the marketing plan for Bud Light. 

The brewing titan gave up its exclusive right to advertise alcohol during the Super Bowl in June, a position it had enjoyed for over three decades. The advertiser will continue to air advertising leading up to the big game and is still the NFL’s official sponsor of beer and hard seltzer.

Anomaly vs The Martin Agency: Splitting agency duties 

Rather than picking one partner to direct the vision of its entire portfolio, Bud Light has split responsibilities between Anomaly and The Martin Agency, handling its core light beer and broader range of products consecutively. Stagwell owns Anomaly, while The Martin Agency is a company in the Interpublic Group of Companies. 

The dual agency model acknowledges the growing popularity of non-beer products and indicates such wagers can profit from their own unique strategy. Bud Light is currently the third-ranked seltzer in the market.

As customers turn to substitutes like hard seltzer and ready-to-drink cocktails, AB InBev has increased its attention on its Beyond Beer campaign. In April, the business named Marcel Marcondes, an executive leader at the Beyond Beer unit, as its global CMO.

Attention to the Gen Z

Better-for-you beers are another area where AB InBev excels, with Michelob Ultra among the brand’s fastest-growing offerings. They include Bud Light Next and a zero-carb beer which taste like seltzer. Better-for-you beers were released earlier this year and are marketed towards younger customers in their 20s and positioned around ideas like the metaverse.

Former agency Wieden+Kennedy

The announcement indicates a change of leadership for Bud Light. Some of the most recognizable advertising campaigns for the company were created by Wieden + Kennedy, including a string of ads with a medieval theme and the slogan “Dilly Dilly.” 

The tagline eventually had a “Game of Thrones” tie-in at the height of the HBO show’s popularity after becoming a viral meme. However, despite a general drop in the beer sector, effective marketing could not significantly counteract declining sales.

Final Thoughts

Bud Light remains the most popular beer in the United States, holding a 12.69% market share. The company has expanded its sports marketing sphere of influence while continuing to collaborate closely with the NFL.

In June, Bud Light agreed to sponsor boxing promoter Top Rank. The company has a dedicated Twitch channel and sponsorships of competitions for games like “League of Legends,” “Overwatch,” and the NBA 2K series. That’s how this company also caters to less conventional audiences like gamers.