WASHINGTON — As the clock ticks closer to Super Bowl Sunday, major brands have started debuting their highly anticipated ad spots.
Budweiser revealed a 45-second version of its “Six Degrees of Bud” Super Bowl ad on Tuesday. It features Hollywood actor Kevin Bacon and St. Louis music producer Metro Boomin. The beer giant’s commercial for the big game plays on the concept that everyone can be traced by six degrees of separation.
“The thing about Super Bowl ads is that you have :30s to get people to feel something – to laugh, to cry, to be inspired,” Bacon said in the press release. “I loved bringing back the six degrees concept for this year’s Super Bowl because at its core, the concept has always been about connection.”
The ad, narrated by Bacon, features a six-pack of Budweiser beer being passed around by six different individuals, including hip-hop producer Metro Boomin. As the final beer remains, the ad breaks the fourth wall and offers a Budweiser to the audience with the company’s iconic tagline “This Bud’s For You.”
Along with starring in the Super Bowl ad, Metro Boomin also created the track playing in the commercial.
This year, Budweiser’s parent company Anheuser-Busch will no longer be the only alcohol brand to advertise during the Super Bowl. The beer giant will share its spotlight with other beer brands after it chose not to renew its exclusivity deal with the NFL last year, CNN reports. The deal was reportedly worth $250 million annually.
Budweiser, which has made a name for itself in the game of Super Bowl ads, will not be airing the commercial nationally this year. Instead, the company shifted focus to 14 regional markets where they aim to reach a younger audience, according to Variety.
In addition to catering to younger consumers, the beer company reintroduced its iconic tagline as a way to modernize the phrase. Budweiser’s Super Bowl ad even sneaked in a brief glimpse of the company’s famous Clydesdale horses right at the beginning.
“In bringing back our iconic tagline, ‘This Bud’s For You,’ we are also evolving the meaning behind the phrase – from something that used to signify the end of the work day to a mantra that embodies the modern consumer and all their side hustles, passion projects and career successes,” Budweiser’s Head of Marketing Kristina Punwani said.
A 30-second version of the commercial will air on Super Bowl Sunday in markets such as California, New York and Philadelphia, the company said in a press release.
The Kansas City Chiefs will face the Philadelphia Eagles in the Super Bowl on Feb. 12 in Glendale, Arizona.