Your guide to popular alcohol brands gearing up for Super Bowl LIX

Three words that sum up the Super Bowl? Food, football and commercials. According to CNN, more than 123 million people tuned into the big game in 2024. Another 83,000 will watch from Caesar's Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana, on February 9, 2025. The event drives millions of dollars to the host city through tourism and business. 

The Big Easy’s rich cultural heritage will entertain Super Bowl fans in multiple ways. You’ve already seen the Super Bowl logo. It’s the first time the NFL has collaborated with a local artist, Tahj Williams. Williams is the Queen of her Black Masking Indian Tribe, part of the storied Mardi Gras Indians, and designed the logo with dozens of tiny glass beads in keeping with tradition. 

Super Bowl fans will also enjoy New Orleans favorites like Grammy award winners Trombone Shorty and Jon Batiste in the pre-game entertainment. Kendrick Lamar will perform at the Apple Music Super Bowl LIX Halftime show. Besides incorporating New Orleans culture, Verizon is hosting the first FanFest at 30 stadiums across the country. The event will include live music, local chefs and meet-and-greets with NFL celebrities as a way to experience mini-Super Bowls locally. 

According to Fox, the 30-second spots cost a minimum of $7 million each. Despite the $7 million price tag, some experts say Super Bowl ads are underpriced compared to their reach.

Plus, the ads have become something of a competition themselves. Some people watch the game for the commercials rather than the football game. Industry publications like AdWeek and AdAge make recommendations and list their favorites before and after the big game so the potential chatter can last weeks. 

While we don’t know the complete list yet, here’s what you can expect from some of our favorite alcohol brands so far. 

Coors Light

In this revamped “Choose Chill” campaign, Sofia Colucci, CMO of Molson Coors, says the brand is thrilled to be at the big game. According to their press release, she says: 

“In 2025, Coors Light will bring a new take on Choose Chill to one of the largest stages in the country and we can’t wait for you to see it. From our college football team alliances to partnerships with some of the chillest players on and off the field, Coors Light and football belong together. Next year, expect to see more mountain-cold refreshment and more chill from Coors Light in the Big Game.” 

Stella Artois 

The Anheuser-Busch InBev brand last appeared at the big game in 2019 with Sarah Jessica Parker and Jeff Bridges. She wears a slinky gown at an upscale restaurant and causes a stir when she orders a Stella Artois instead of her usual Cosmopolitan. Waitstaff drop trays, dishes break. When Jeff Bridges sits at the bar and bypasses his usual for a Stella Artois, the message is the beer brand offers a refreshing alternative. We’re looking forward to seeing what the brand reveals for 2025.

Low / no alcohol ads

With the steady rise of “sober curious” and low/no alcohol trends, it won’t be a surprise if we see some of the major alcohol brands shifting to promote their lines of no/low alcohol options at this year’s big game.  

This consumer shift has no doubt had an effect on how these brands market themselves, and as Tony Costella, Global Consumer & Market Insights Director, Heineken International aptly shares: 

“Obviously trends towards moderation are having a big impact, with low and no alcohol adult drinks seeing significant growth. But, as is often the case, there are also counter-trends with products helping consumers to let loose also doing well.”

No mention of favorite Super Bowl commercials would be complete with mention of Budweiser, Dos Equis and Heineken. While these brands are usually part of any Super Bowl ad lineup, we’re waiting on their official announcements for Super Bowl LIX. 

Budweiser & Bud Light 

Budweiser has made some of the most iconic Super Bowl commercials in history. From the mid ‘90’s frogs croaking “Budweiser” to the tearjerker Lost Puppy with the Clydesdales, the beer brand’s commercials are typically some of the most looked forward to of the whole night.

You can see ten of the most popular Budweiser and Bud Light Super Bowl spots here.   

Dos Equis 

The Most Interesting Man in the World Super Bowl ads ran for ten years! In these ads, a narrator describes the mystery man’s daring adventures, and at the end, you meet the debonair character sitting with beautiful women. He raises his bottle of Dos Equis to the camera and says, “Stay thirsty, my friends.”

These ads stood out for their unique approach and helped propel the brand to the 6th most popular imported beer in the U.S.

Heineken 

David Fincher’s 2005 “The Run” commercial featured Brad Pitt making a beer run from his highrise condo. He evades a horde of paparazzi to pick up a six-pack from a nearby store. Who would guess a superstar might also face the dilemma of an empty six-pack?

In 2023, Paul Rudd appeared as “Ant-man” from Marvel Comics in an ad that advises him not to “drink and shrink” and under no circumstances to give alcohol to the ants. Fortunately, the beer is alcohol-free, which Rudd reveals at the end of the commercial. 

There’s a mix of old favorites and newcomers in Super Bowl 2025. You’ll see favorite snack brands, alcohol brands and apps like Instacart dance across your screen.

Some of the biggest pre-show excitement is around the types of commercials we’re expecting to see. 

Lighthearted 

Is it safe to say recent years have been, well, strange? There’s a lot of political division these days, and no one wants to appear tone-deaf. Rather than risk making a major gaffe during the biggest ad event of the year, some ad execs predict brands will aim for lighthearted commercials in 2025.

According to Marketing Brew, Jones Krahl, US head of creative and creative fellow at Deloitte Digital, said, “You’re drinking your beer, you’re eating your wings, you’re celebrating. I think this year specifically…brands should use a more light-hearted tone, a humorous tone, even a stupid tone.”

Brave ads 

From light-hearted to brave.

Anselmo Ramos is the founder of GUT, a global creative agency. According to this Forbes article, he says the only way to stand out is to be brave. “When it comes to the Super Bowl, it’s better to err on the side of bravery. ” …“It’s the only time of the year people actually want to see the ads,” says Ramos. “When everyone is doing the same thing, you’ll only stand out by trying something completely new.”

We’ll see which ones capture the most attention in 2025.  We do know all of these ads are data-driven. Brands track trends to inform their ad concepts and guide their decisions. 

Experiential advertising 

In 2024, Las Vegas played host to the big game, and a few brands used their glitzy surroundings to create memorable experiences for their fans. For example, the Chip Strip invited people to ‘Gram their memories and some visitors were even married by Chester Cheetah. 

We’re also likely to see gamified commercials like Coinbase’s QR code from Super Bowl 2022. The ad reportedly drove so much traffic that it crashed. 

One alcohol brand emphasizing the experiential side is Crown Royal’s Rig, a literal 18-wheeler touring the country. 

Painted Crown Royal purple with a pillow hood ornament, the words “Crown Royal” on the cab’s grill and what appears to be a cask on the back, the rig has traveled across the country to multiple NFL cities, sharing not just a good time but giving back to the military. Crown Royal’s Purple Bag Project benefits Packages from Home, an organization that sends packages to overseas military members. 

According to the rig’s driver, Rob Riggle, "I am so excited to be able to drive this amazing tricked out rig and give back! It's so simple – fans will turn donated Crown Royal Bags into care packages for active American military heroes, a community that I'm deeply passionate about."

Its Super Bowl connection is a contest offering fans the chance to win tickets to spend three days and two nights in New Orleans, as well as Super Bowl LIX tickets. 

The Big Easy offers plenty of opportunities for experiential advertising. 

AI 

In the era of AI everything, it not surprising to hear about potential AI-generated ads for this year’s game. This  Synthetic podcast predicts one out of four Super Bowl ads will include AI in some capacity. 

Whether you’re a hardcore NFL fan or just tune in to the big game for the commercials, one thing is for sure, Super Bowl LIX will entertain. This cultural phenomenon shapes water cooler conversations for days before and after the game.

Plus, this year’s host city of New Orleans, Louisiana, offers unique culture, sounds and traditions to engage audiences through all five senses. The city’s party reputation also aligns with the favored alcohol brands advertising. Who will be the winners (and losers) in this year’s commercials? We’ll find out in a few weeks.