Dive Brief:
- Michelob Ultra, the official beer sponsor of Team USA, is tapping into nostalgia for a storied Olympic upset known as the “Miracle on Ice” in its latest campaign ahead of the 2026 Winter Games, according to a press release.
- On Jan. 15, the Anheuser-Busch InBev brand is hosting an immersive event centered on the 1980 upset when the American hockey team bested the Soviet Union at the Winter Olympics. Footage from the event will be incorporated into a Peacock special in the lead-up to the Olympics in February.
- “Run Back the Miracle” will serve as a focal point for a larger campaign ahead of the Winter Games in Milano Cortina. The brand has also partnered with Team USA hockey players Brady and Matthew Tkachuk, who, along with other athletes, will appear in digital and broadcast content, trade assets and out-of-home ads.
Dive Insight:
Nostalgia and national pride are focal points of Michelob Ultra’s Winter Olympics campaign. The effort, which drums up excitement for the current team roster, plays into the beer’s brand identity as a healthy option favored by elite athletes. Additionally, the immersive event and other campaign elements help to further associate the brand with hockey, a sport which has seen a surge in popularity among American consumers.
“Run Back the Miracle” also gives the brand a way to get in front of Olympics fans with original streaming content. The event will be held at the Herb Brooks Arena in Lake Placid, New York — the same venue where the storied 1980 match was played. For those who cannot attend, footage from the event will be incorporated into a Peacock special in the lead-up to the Olympics in February. The event will utilize holograms, footage, full-ice projections and other tools to recreate key moments from the game. Original team members, such as goaltender Jim Craig, will be in attendance.
The brand took a similar approach to sports content in 2022, when computer simulations and ball return machines allowed tennis legend John McEnroe to play against himself.
Other events are also part of this year’s push. Through Feb. 13, fans can use the brand’s Superior Access platform to enter for a chance to win a trip to Ultra Summit, which takes place Feb. 19-22 in Park City, Utah. Attendees will be able to view an exhibit with various Olympic artifacts, view a live performance by Kygo, play interactive games and attend apres-ski Olympic watch parties powered by Olympic partner TCL.
New digital and broadcast assets, including a 30-second commercial titled “Team Home,” will star Team USA athletes. Outside of the Tkachuk brothers, these include Breezy Johnson (alpine skiing), Kaysha Love (bobsled) and Kristen Santos-Griswold (speed skating).
Michelob Ultra has made elite athletes a core part of its marketing strategy. The brand invested in marketing surrounding the Copa América USA 2024 tournament, largely through sponsorships and pop-ups. It will also serve as the sponsor of Team USA through the 2028 Olympics.
The decision to focus on past Olympic victories with its most recent campaign shows the brand still assigns value to nostalgia-driven marketing. This is a strategy some brands have moved away from in recent months, including competitor Miller Lite. However, Michelob Ultra isn’t putting all of its eggs in a nostalgia basket. The list of contemporary athletes the brand has on its sponsorship roster is proof of its continued focus on live athletic events.
The association with sports and athletics also positions Michelob Ultra as a healthier alternative to other types of beer. The strategy could be working, as Michelob Ultra is the best-selling beer by volume in America at a time when over half, 53%, of Americans view drinking as bad. As a result, some consumers, particularly younger ones, have looked for alternatives to beer or cut back on drinking altogether. The best-selling beer by dollar amount remains Modelo Especial, a Constellation Brands beer.
The campaign also comes as the Trump administration released new federal dietary guidelines, which overhauled recommendations to alcohol consumption. Previously, the guidelines recommended no more than two drinks a day for men and one a day for women. Now, they simply recommend “limiting” alcohol consumption.
Anheuser-Busch InBev saw a third quarter revenue of $15.13 billion, a 0.58% year-over-year increase, according to an earnings call. The company credits the growth of its portfolio, in part, to the success and growth of Michelob Ultra.
