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(Courtesy BABE/Anheuser-Busch)
Yes It’s true, the global brewing giant is marketing its canned wine line heavy in NFL stadiums to bolster its faltering beer fortunes and tap into females not already drinking its Bon & Viv Spiked Seltzer…
Here’s what we know…
In yet another sign that Anheuser-Busch is getting concerned about the lasting viability of its core product, BEER, comes the announcement from the brewer that its canned wine line BABE is now the Official Wine Sponsor of the National Football League.
Founded by Josh “The Fat Jewish” Ostrovsky, (their words not ours) and brothers David Oliver Cohen and Tanner Cohen in 2016, BABE joined Anheuser-Busch when the company’s global growth and innovation group, ZX Ventures, bought a minority interest in the canned beer operation in 2018.
And in June 2019 Anheuser-Busch acquired the remaining stake in BABE, the most photographed wine on Instagram, and moved quickly build an alliance with the NFL.
“Wine hasn’t typically been a top pick when it comes to sporting events in-stadium or at home, but BABE is changing all that by bringing a fun, easy, and portable option to game day,” said David Oliver Cohen, Co-Founder of BABE. “Building on Anheuser-Busch’s long-standing relationship with the NFL, we have seized a unique opportunity for BABE to become the football wine the world has been waiting for.”
Whether the world has ever been waiting for a “football wine” to begin with is subject to debate…but one thing is undeniable, with beer sales slowing Anheuser-Busch is in a race to expand its reach beyond its core product.
And Anheuser-Busch’s Beyond Beer division (its name says everything) is spending big money on projects like this BABE video starring Kayla Nicole, the girlfriend of Kansas City Chiefs Tight End Travis Kelce, to do it…
“Building winning brands for every occasion and delivering on evolving consumer tastes is at the heart of our company’s commercial strategy,” said Chelsea Phillips, VP of Marketing for Beyond Beer, Anheuser Busch. “We are proud to be bringing more choices to football fans everywhere with BABE’s addition to the Anheuser-Busch portfolio.”
Football fans can expect to see additional BABE partnerships with the Miami Dolphins, Washington Redskins, Denver Broncos, and other NFL Clubs.
And did we mention that Anheuser-Busch’s BON & VIV has already been named the Official Hard Seltzer Sponsor of the NFL?
Didn’t they used to brew beer?
