How Alcohol Brands Are Battling For Big Game Buzz

Budweiser is among the major alcohol brands charging forward with a new major advertising campaign that will air during Super Bowl LX on February 8, 2026.

Courtesy of Budweiser

There are plenty of certainties for what will unfold during Super Bowl LX. The New England Patriots will face off against the Seattle Seahawks. The game will be held in San Francisco, kicking off at 6:30 p.m. ET. Superstar rapper and singer Bad Bunny will headline a halftime show.

And of course, boozy advertisements featuring Clydesdales, Olympians, celebrities and fembots.

The Super Bowl is a major moment for brands that are willing to cough up a reported $8 million for a 30-second slot, representing one of the few moments in American life that still commands a sizable audience in a splintered media market. Last year, the Super Bowl was watched by a record 127.7 million viewers.

Each year, the big game draws big brands ranging from Hellmann’s mayonnaise, Grubhub food delivery and Instagram and Facebook parent Meta, the latter promoting Oakley Meta Performance artificial intelligence glasses. In alcohol, Anheuser-Busch has traditionally been the Super Bowl’s heavy hitter and this year the brewing giant will run major ad spots for the Budweiser, Bud Light and Michelob brands. But there are also advertising campaigns and non-linear TV activations planned from Svedka, Smirnoff and Don Julio.

Many campaigns have already debuted their content online, giving them extra opportunities for storytelling beyond linear TV on social channels like TikTok and Instagram. Nostalgia and American patriotism have been familiar themes. Celebrities, as always, are frequently brought in to help amplify a brand’s message.

“The Super Bowl is this beautiful laboratory experiment to see, at scale, what is working and what isn’t, and what kind of shape the trajectory of the rest of the year’s ads [will take],” Jordan Weil, group strategy director at creative agency Ogilvy, tells me during a virtual interview. “What we’re going to see is, or what I’m predicting, is a focus on simple, powerful narratives that the brand can tell from a credible place.”

I’ve compiled a running list of the major alcohol-sponsored campaigns planned for Super Bowl 2026.

The Budweiser Clydesdales Run Free Again

The iconic mascot dates back to 1933 when six Clydesdales were hitched to commemorate the repeal of Prohibition on beer. They made their Super Bowl debut in 1975 and have appeared in numerous ads since for the NFL’s biggest night of the year and of course, they’re back again in 2026. It is their 48th national appearance at the Super Bowl, according to Budweiser.

The new campaign spot is called “American Icons,” opening with a Clydesdale foal who leaves his stable, befriends a small bird, shelters it from a storm and forges a new friendship. The spot, directed by Academy Award-nominated filmmaker Henry-Alex Rubin, features Lynyrd Skynyrd’s popular 1973 hit “Free Bird,” which slowly builds up in the background to evoke even more drama.

“As we celebrate Budweiser’s 150th anniversary and America’s 250th birthday, we knew we had to rise to the occasion in a way only Budweiser can,” Todd Allen, senior vice president of marketing for Budweiser at parent company Anheuser-Busch, said in a statement. “This year’s spot will leave fans awestruck and proud to enjoy a Budweiser as they celebrate our shared milestone moments.”

The 60-second spot will air during Super Bowl LX and on Budweiser’s digital channels.

Bud Light Calls Up Big Names For The Big Game

On Friday, Bud Light debuted the American-style light lager’s new Super Bowl spot starring singer Post Malone, stand-up comedian Shane Gillis and two-time, Super Bowl-winning quarterback Peyton Manning. The campaign features the trio mingling at a wedding and mayhem ensuing when a Bud Light keg rolls down a steel hill. The event’s guests—even the bride—tumble frantically to save the keg as Whitney Houston’s “I Will Always Love You” plays in the background.

The ad spot, called “Keg,” also coincides with a giveaway. Bud Light is offering fans over the age of 21 a nationwide $60 discount off their purchase of a Bud Light keg in honor of 60 years of the Super Bowl. Bud Light is also offering some fans in Foxborough, Massachusetts, and Seattle a chance to win tickets to the game.

Vodka-Loving Dancing Robots Are Back

Last year, Svedka rebooted the vodka brand’s robot after being powered down for 12 years. The Svedka robots initially debuted in 2005 and were a concept that the brand continuously updated through 2013. Svedka was sold a little over a year ago by Corona parent Constellation Brands to Sazerac, the maker of Fireball and Southern Comfort, which believes that what was once old can potentially have a fresh spin again.

Sazerac says that the Svedka Vodka ad—which it teased this week on social media and YouTube—is the company’s first-ever Super Bowl commercial and the first national spot on this level for a vodka brand in over 30 years. The company promises that the campaign was created in partnership with robots (i.e., AI) and humans.

“This is an exciting moment for Sazerac and SVEDKA,” says Sara Saunders, chief marketing officer at Sazerac, in a statement. She promises that “our ad will blend human creativity and dance moves with modern technology; we can’t wait for fans across the world to see it all come to life this February on advertising’s biggest stage.”

Svedka initially announced it would be a Super Bowl sponsor in early December and the company’s teaser spot—which depicts a choreographed dance that looks prime to find extra life on social—points to a brand strategy that has evolved beyond just broadcast. These are elements many major Super Bowl advertisers are considering for 2026.

“It really has to be built with that shareability in mind,” says Kristina Prickett, Ogilvy’s director of community management and engagement, tells me during a virtual interview. “The spots are, really starting to be designed more for TikTok, Instagram, YouTube and short-form cut-downs.” These potential meme-ready moments can help keep the conversation going with consumers, adds Prickett.

Michelob Goes For The Gold

Anheuser-Busch’s Michelob Ultra is the official beer sponsor of Team USA and so it makes perfect sense that the brand would tap into the Winter Olympics, an event that debuts just two days before Super Bowl LX. The ad spot stars snowboard gold medalist Chloe Kim and Olympian and NHL champion T. J. Oshie. Actors Kurt Russell and Lewis Pullman are also featured, both making their Super Bowl commercial debuts.

“With all eyes on the world’s top athletes this February, we are excited to start the year strong with campaigns that celebrate competition, Team USA and the moments worth playing for,” Ricardo Marques, SVP of marketing for Michelob Ultra, says in a statement.

Michelob Ultra is also promoting a giveaway for fans over the age of 21, encouraging them to follow the brand on social media for a chance to win prizes, including tickets for upcoming sporting events and merchandise.

Don Julio Toasts Latino Culture And Bad Bunny

Don Julio recently debuted the first episode of a five-episode series called “Ready P’al Show,” a social-first campaign that will highlight how Latino consumers get ready for the game. Puerto Rican superstar Bad Bunny is set to make history as the first Latino artist to solo headline the Super Bowl halftime show in its 60-year history.

“Ready P’al Show” pairs comedian Druski with Puerto Rican artist Young Miko and their conversations will cover everything from proper toasting rituals to learning reggaeton. Don Julio says the campaign is rolling out in the weeks and days leading up to the Super Bowl.

“With Latin influence making its way into mainstream culture more than ever, amplified by the conversation around this year’s Super Bowl and highly anticipated halftime show, Tequila Don Julio saw an authentic opportunity to join the conversation,” says Julian Garcia, vice president of marketing for Don Julio, in an email statement. “As a brand with proud Mexican roots and the only NFL sponsor with Spanish as its first language, we chose to build on the anticipation by centering how Latino communities actually get ready for Game Day.”

Smirnoff’s Game Day Apparel Drop

The Diageo brand, which is the official vodka sponsor of the NFL, isn’t running a traditional ad spot in 2026 but this month it did debut its third and final limited-edition apparel drop by NFL licensed designer Aleali May. The line is available nationwide for a “limited time” but Smirnoff is also running a contest that will allow one grand prize winner to receive a custom varsity jacket designed by May, which will be awarded in person during the Super Bowl weekend.

Smirnoff says that the brand’s local presence in San Francisco will center on an activation it calls “We Do Game Days,” which includes transforming a trolley into a mobile fashion showcase.

“Super Bowl LX is the natural culmination of everything we’ve been building with We Do Game Days this season,” says Jennifer Holiday Hudson, North America brand leader of Smirnoff Vodka, in a statement. “It’s about celebrating the full game day experience — from the behind-the-scenes moments to the personal style and connections that have become just as central to fandom as the game itself.”