Molson Coors teases its first Super Bowl commercial in 34 years

NFL teams aren’t the only ones competing for a spot in Super Bowl LVII.

Beer brands Coors Light and Miller Lite are also vying for the spotlight in what’s poised to be Molson Coors Beverage Co.’s first Super Bowl ad in more than 30 years.

When Molson Coors execs learned its competitor, Anheuser-Busch InBev, had ended an exclusivity agreement to advertise during the Big Game, it took them “less than a minute” to decide to buy a commercial spot, said Marcelo Pascoa, vice president of Coors Global Marketing. AB InBev has maintained beer advertising exclusivity since 1989.

“I think it was 48 seconds if I’m not mistaken. It was a very simple decision for us,” Pascoa said. “Now when it comes to what we’re actually going to be doing for spot, that’s a completely different game.”

Molson Coors is a beer behemoth with more than 120 brands in its portfolio. But two of the best known, Coors Light and Miller Lite have been waging a friendly competition within their parent company’s walls for the chance to be featured in the 30-second ad, according to Pascoa

Why not buy two spots?

“The truth is it’s expensive,” Pascoa said. “It’s not an easy decision to buy something that is very expensive, but it was for us because we saw the opportunity of coming back to the Big Game after 30 years and making something people remember for the next 30 years.”

Molson Coors declined to say how much it paid for the spot, but according to CNN, the going rate for a 30-second commercial during the last Super Bowl was $7 million.

The winner of the Miller Lite vs. Coors Light battle won’t be revealed until the commercial airs on Feb. 12, when the Super Bowl comes to State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona. Until then, drinkers will see the two brands making their cases on other platforms like social media and print ads.

Coors Light should get the spot because of its legacy, Pascoa contends. This year marks the 150th anniversary of the Coors Brewery’s founding in 1873.

Miller Lite, on the other hand, has long been endorsed by NFL players, including legendary Dallas Cowboys quarterback Troy Aikman. When Aikman opened his own bar in North Texas called Troy’s, which served many different beer options, the Hall of Famer told The Dallas Morning News “I’m a Miller Lite guy.”

Which brand do you think should earn the highly coveted spot?

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