I loved the Bud Light drinkability tag that was unveiled last. I just though Anheuser Busch got it right. I was a little sad to see it go with this year’s Super Bowl and was less than impressed with “Here We Go.” After their previous campaign it seemed a little generic. However, seeing those ads for the first time I failed to see the brilliance behind the tag.
Enter MMA. One of my many hobbies is watching MMA fights. Regardless of your opinion on the fights themselves they are a spectacle of marketing. The UFC has managed to grow itself even in a down year and their self promotion is pretty much top-notch. I was watching the free fights on saturday when I heard these fights are brought to you by Bud Light; Bud Light “here we go”. Followed shortly by the referee saying “Here we go” to the fighters; then a bellowing “AND HERE WE GO!” from the announcer.
This was my ah-ha moment. Clearly this couldn’t be some great coincidence. After all, Bud-light is largest sponsor of the UFC and WEC. This had to be a brilliantly executed marketing strategy. The phrase “here we go” is uttered so often during MMA fights that in a 30 second peroid AB was getting its brand double or triple exposure. I still think the tag is a tad generic but I think the execution is stellar.
-Jeff