Cutwater Spirits Reveals First Ever National Super Bowl Commercial

The past several years have been marked by big changes in the distilled spirits industry. A prominent, national ad for Cutwater Spirits on Super Bowl Sunday will showcase these evolving trends on a grand stage. The commercial features the brand’s award-winning lineup of canned cocktails. Inspired by Apple’s “Think Different” campaign of the late ‘90s, “Here’s to the Lazy Ones” honors the everyday people who work smarter rather than harder, reserving time and energy for the things they love most. Here’s an advance look:

There’s obviously a strong element of playfulness here. After all, Super Bowl audiences have come to expect a comedic edge to commercials on the NFL’s biggest day. But make no mistake, this is serious business for the world of distilled spirits. Cutwater is leading the charge for a ready-to-drink [RTD] adult beverage subcategory which has seen sales soar past the $1.5 billion mark—up 42.3% in just the past year alone.

A large part of that growth is attributed to the way in which the pandemic changed our habits. Off-Premise consumption was way up when bars and restaurants were locked down, of course. But we’re also emerging from the pandemic with a reprioritization of how we want to spend our time—and who we want to spend it with, something that the commercial hints at, albeit in a cheeky way.

Established in 2017 in San Diego by master distiller Yuseff Cherney and Earl Kight, Cutwater was notably ahead of the RTD curve. So by the time the format took off, they were well positioned, with over a dozen SKUs already on shelves, including classic cocktails like Moscow Mules, Margaritas, Rum Punches and Mai Tais. The positioning paid off when Anheuser-Busch acquired the company in 2019, placing it as integral part of their nascent Beyond Beer portfolio.

“The ready-to-drink spirits category has grown nearly triple digits over the past year,” observes Fabricio Zonzini, president of Beyond Beer. “Cutwater Spirits is poised to lead category growth as more consumers discover the convenience of bar-quality canned cocktails. Our spot [during the Super Bowl] will continue to accelerate awareness as we focus on expanding Cutwater’s footprint across the nation.”

Just a few years back, it would be difficult to imagine a canned cocktail brand having the budget to air ads during television’s most-watched event (a 30-second spot sells for $6.5 million during Super Bowl LVI). Indeed, it wouldn’t have even been allowed prior to 2017. That’s when the NFL first said it would accept “hard liquor” spots, for a single season trial. The ads had to include “prominent social responsibility” messaging and couldn’t have a football theme or target underage drinkers. They were so successful that the league quickly extended the policy in perpetuity.

“The NFL and other major sports leagues recognize that spirits companies are responsible marketers and good business partners,” explains Lisa Hawkins, senior vice president of public affairs for the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States. “Adult fans realize that alcohol is alcohol, and spirits ads have been met with broad public acceptance. The reality is that consumers who drink alcohol are more often choosing to cheer on their favorite team with a cocktail.”

And as the success of Cutwater clearly demonstrates, these cocktails are increasingly coming from a can.