It’s the most wonderful time of the year—the start of the NFL season, and the ad campaigns that come with it.
Bud Light, the official beer partner of the league, keeps its football marketing efforts turned on year-round, according to Bud Light’s SVP of marketing Todd Allen, but a major moment like opening day on Sept. 4 called for a fresh campaign.
“This is my favorite time of year,” Allen told Marketing Brew. “It’s go time for Bud Light.”
The brand’s latest work, which rolled out Thursday, features an ad starring longtime partner and football legend Peyton Manning, as well retail and experiential components meant to double down on Bud Light’s presence “wherever our fans are” through the upcoming season.
He chutes, he scores: Bud Light is kicking off its campaign with an ad called “Parachute” that’s meant to deliver on the brand’s usual humorous approach to content, according to Allen. The ad opens on a shot of a can of Bud Light being cracked open at a football game, followed by Manning parachuting into the stadium. As he descends, he spots a glass of Bud Light and calls one of his famous “Omaha” audibles, changing directions to head toward the beer, which turns out to be a billboard.
The spot reflects “the great lengths that our fans go to for their favorite team and for their favorite beer,” Allen said, and is aimed at celebrating that passion while ideally getting a chuckle out of audiences by taking the concept to the extreme.
The ad will run in 15- and 30-second versions across TV, digital, and social platforms beginning today, which marks the official start of Week 1 of the NFL preseason following last week’s Hall of Fame Game.
Full field: Manning is a veteran of Bud Light ads, and “Parachute” is his sixth appearance in a campaign for the brand. He’s previously appeared in Bud Light’s 2025 Super Bowl spot and, most recently, its parody sketch that ran as part of a partnership between Bud Light, Netflix, and Manning’s Omaha Productions tied to Season 2 of the docuseries Quarterback.
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It’s not just quarterbacks that Bud Light is working with. The beer company also had a presence as the presenting sponsor of Travis Kelce, Greg Olsen, and Bud Light partner George Kittle’s Tight End University training camp in June, and it served as the presenting sponsor of the 2025 NFL Draft in April.
“The NFL season is always on for us,” Allen said.
Can it: In addition to the “Parachute” ad, Bud Light is marking the start of the season by bringing back limited-edition cans inspired by each of its 27 team partners, which feature QR codes that fans can scan to access content and experiences like merch drops.
Bud Light is also giving away tailgate experiences for the 18 regular-season games this year. Put together, the ad, cans, and giveaways contribute to the goal of connecting with fans wherever they’re watching football, whether that be their homes, or bars, or stadiums, Allen said.
On deck: The Bud Light team is largely focused on the regular season kickoff, Allen said, but a new version of the current campaign is set to be released later in the season. With college football increasingly attracting big brands, Allen said his team is also planning a new campaign surrounding those Saturday games.
While he was tight-lipped about the Super Bowl, he noted that Bud Light “always [is] a big part” of that event.
“We have a long-standing history of being a part of the Super Bowl and showing up, so you have to stay tuned for what we have in store this year,” Allen said.
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