Shane Gillis and Post Malone are your new favorite neighbors in Bud Light’s Super Bowl ad

Imagine, just for a second, that Post Malone and Shane Gillis are your neighbors—not in a now-you’re-rich-and-live-among-pop-stars-and-comedy-elite way, just your average suburban cul-de-sac situation.

This is what Bud Light has been asking of us in its recent Super Bowl ad teasers. In one, we see Post and Gillis through a doorbell cam. In another, Gillis is outlining the rules of actually drinking in a beer ad (no bueno). These were mere sips of what was to come. Today, Bud Light decided to jam a proverbial screwdriver into the side of the can and let the world shotgun its full big game ad ahead of time.

Now we know what the tucked golf shirts and jorts hype was all about. Bud Light has turned Malone and Gillis into BMOCs—“Big Men on Cul-De-Sac,” the neighbors responsible for boosting a party. Here, they come to the aid of a needy neighbor by sending out invites, bringing over the lawn-cutting smoker, as well as the biggest cooler I’ve ever seen since that Yeti x Liquid Death casket. Even Peyton Manning takes a break from FanDuel’s “Kick of Destiny” to hang out.

Todd Allen, Bud Light’s senior vice president of marketing, says you’d be hard-pressed to find better BMOCs than Malone and Gillis. “Not only are they the most likeable and authentically hilarious guys around, but also longtime fans and partners of Bud Light,” says Allen. “With humor being a staple of Bud Light advertising and the Super Bowl stage, we knew this was the duo that could help us bring to life what I truly believe is one of our funniest spots in years.”

https://twitter.com/budlight/status/1883590760273994123

This is Post Malone’s fourth Super Bowl with Bud Light. We’ve taken a peek inside his brain, and seen him with legends. And since he first signed on as a brand partner in 2018, he’s had a limited apparel line and a dive bar concert tour with the brand.

Laugh Strategy

Gillis signed on with Bud Light a year ago, in the wake of the Dylan Mulvaney fiasco, with a sponsored comedy tour, and then created two hilarious spots for the college football season. If this past year is any indication, the brand should hang on to Gillis and his comedy partner John McKeever for as long as it can. Not only have the spots been hilarious, Gillis’s team is clearly capable of more. The comedian broke down the process behind his recent Notre Dame ad for Under Armour, which he told Pat McAfee was made in just a couple of days. This is what Ryan Reynolds would call “fastvertising,” in its ability to deliver entertaining ads that tap into culture here and now.

Allen says fans made it clear they loved the Gillis partnership. “It was a no-brainer for us to keep the momentum going and continue to lean into the iconic humor fans expect from us,” he says. “There’s absolutely no bigger stage to deliver a laugh than Super Bowl, and when you combine a comedic powerhouse like Shane with Bud Light, I think we have a winning formula.”

Bud Light sales have not rebounded since the Mulvaney controversy, in which a small promotion with the trans influencer in early 2023 became a lightning rod for “anti-woke” right wing media. Since then, the brand has leaned harder into humor, as well as sports and music sponsorships.

https://twitter.com/budlight/status/1882428502487838849

The brand is navigating an overall slowing down of beer sales, thanks to factors that include the growing popularity of ready-to-drink cocktails. It’s also in direct competition with sibling brands. AB InBev has ramped up its marketing and advertising behind Michelob Ultra in the past few years, and that’s helped it outpace Bud Light sales. In this Super Bowl alone, Bud Light is up against fellow AB brands Budweiser, Stella Artois, and Michelob Ultra.

With a decrease in craft beer sales, light beer brands like the Kelce brothers-backed Garage Beer see opportunity. But for Bud Light, it’s an ideal time to invest in its brand like this to stoke and deepen its fandom.

“We’re staying laser-focused on bringing the best of what fans expect from us—leaning into our iconic humor and staying consistent in how we show up through our mega-platforms throughout the year, like UFC, NFL, college sports, country music and more,” says Allen. “This spot is centered in this objective, focusing on putting fans first, leaning into humor, showcasing epic talent and cementing our role in a relatable setting—the neighborhood.”

It’s not quite as epic as the Bud Knight in Westeros, but it may still get you to grab your jorts, pull up your socks, and go find the cooler.