Emmitt Smith and Peyton Manning team up for Bud Light’s endorsement following brand's allegiance with Travis Kelce and Dak Prescott
Bud Light joined forces with two Pro Football Hall of Famers, Peyton Manning and Emmitt Smith for a new "Easy Rounds" campaign for the company. The well-known beer brand has faced some controversy over the last couple of months.
Having Manning and Smith in the commercial was an attempt to give NFL fans a familiar face to market around.
The company dealt with a massive hit in sales when they used transgender social media influencer Dylan Mulvaney in a marketing campaign in March. Smith was asked in an interview with Fox Business why fans should come back to the company despite the controversy.
"It’s an iconic brand, and it’s been around sports for a long time," Smith said. "Every brand itself goes through iterations of highs and lows. Even the Dallas Cowboys are going through iterations of highs and lows, and it’s been a low for a long period of time because we haven’t been to the NFC Championship Game, etc., etc."
Emmitt Smith concluded:
"So, in this case, I think with what Bud Light is doing to engage with fans is wonderful...They give them a different level of experience, utilizing Peyton Manning and myself, and I think that is unique in itself because we understand the game and we played in the big game ourselves, and we can relate to some of the things that the fans will experience."
According to the New York Post, the company saw a 17% drop in sales in April following Mulvaney's appearance. In October, All-Pro tight end Travis Kelce was featured in a promotion for the popular beer brand.
Kelce donned a diamond chain and bespoke beer can pendant in that promotion as fans called for a boycott of Bud Light. They joined forces with Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott this year appearing in ads for the company.
Does Emmitt Smith's Cowboys have Bud Light as a sponsor?
While Bud Light is still the beer sponsor of the NFL, that is not the case with owner Jerry Jones and the Cowboys. They are one of five teams that have another beer sponsor other than Bud Light.
Miller Lite is the Cowboys beer sponsor along with the Green Bay Packers, Minnesota Vikings, and the Chicago Bears. The league has been partnering with Bud Light for almost three decades and doesn't look like it will end anytime soon.