How Super Bowl boosted draught beer sales

By Editor on February 15, 2022

Super Bowl 2022 was a bonanza for brewers in the United States this week, with draught beer sales surging 41% compared to 2021.

Food and beverage technology company BeerBoard’s 2022 Big Game Pour Report compared the stats for on-premise hospitality draught beer sales on February 13 to February 7, 2021 and February 2, 2020 — the dates of the two previous championship games.

This year, the Big Game Pour Report highlighted the impact a championship game can have on the host city’s bars, brewers and markets as Los Angeles saw a massive increase of 341% in pour volume compared to 2021. As they celebrated an unforgettable night, Angelenos drink of choice was Modelo Especial, which was also the biggest mover among leading brands poured with a 70% increase nationally and 212% increase in the LA area. Nationally, the Big Game brought draught beer volume up 41% compared to 2021.

After two years of being flat, light lager saw a big lift (+30%) in volume, but was still -3.9% points in overall share. Since 2020,
the style has lost -9.3% in share percentage. Lagers were up 42% in volume in 2022, a nominal +0.3% in share this year, but up a solid +2.6% overall since 2020.

Super Bowl sponsor Bud Light was the top brand nationally, and realised a nice bump of +18% in volume.

Modelo Especial was the biggest mover among leading brands poured, climbing +70% nationally.

To see the full 2022 Big Game Report, visit www.beerboard.com/2022-Big-Game-Pour-Report.

As for how much a beer cost at the actual game, a can of Michelob Ultra – priced at around $US3 at supermarkets – went for $US17 at SoFi Stadium. That equates to almost $24 in Australia. Ouch! Craft beer was even pricier at almost $27 Australian per can.

The drinks brands that banked on Super Bowl

It was a record year for Super Bowl advertising due to a perfect storm of economic recovery, brands getting back in the game and American’s bottomless appetite for football.

Ad space for the game was virtually sold out since September and Dan Lovinger, president of ad sales and partnerships for NBCUniversal, told USA Today the top price for a 30-second spot has hit a record $6.5 million,

As Derek Rucker, a professor of marketing at the Kellogg School of Management, noted at Forbes: “There’s a lot you can do in advertising for $6.5 million dollars. In fact, a number of brands will spend more on their Super Bowl spot than other brands will spend throughout the entire year.”

Why? More than 96 million people watch the game.

“A lot of effort goes into designing and delivering Super Bowl spots, and this makes them a spectacle to behold that people want to be a part of. Put simply, Super Bowl ads have become their own cultural experience,” Rucker added.

The Botanist Islay Dry Gin made a major first-time investment in this year’s Super Bowl, which also marked its first-ever TV commercial.

In support of the Independent Restaurant Coalition (IRC), the commercial was designed to drive awareness of the obstacles that the independent bar and restaurant community in the US continues to navigate as a result of COVID-19. Created by documentary film production company Blacksmith & Jones, the commercial features real-life bar and restaurant staff, amplifying the continued need for support and encouraging viewers to get involved.

Canned cocktail brand Cutwater Spirits echoed an iconic 1997 Apple campaign, “Here’s to the Crazy Ones,” with a twist. The black-and-white ad honoured its drinkers with the salute “Here’s to the Lazy Ones”.