C-store Suppliers Gear Up for Super Bowl LI

NATIONAL REPORT — Super Bowl LI will feature sponsorship and promotional opportunities from multiple convenience store suppliers as the big game approaches.

For the first time ever, Anheuser-Busch InBev (AB InBev) will dedicate its Super Bowl commercial to its Busch beer brand, reported The Drum. The TV spot will be created by New York-based advertising agency Deutsch, which won creative duties for Busch and Busch Light in August 2016.

"The value segment plays a key role in the beer category — in fact, one in every four beers consumed in the U.S. is a value brand," stated Chelsea Phillips, senior director of value brands at Anheuser-Busch. "Anheuser-Busch is the undisputed leader in this segment, with Busch and Busch Light representing two of the top 10 beer brands in the nation overall."

The Super Bowl spot's dedication to Busch signals the company's "investment and belief in the role value brands play to drive growth within our portfolio and the category at large," Phillips added.

The Super Bowl ad continues an investment on AB InBev's behalf that has continued for more than a year. The company increased its marketing spend to add 10 weeks of national TV time last year and upped its out-of-home and digital spending, according to the report.

Following the success of last year's Super Bowl activation, Mars Chocolate North America and Wrigley are launching their second joint selling program, The Candy Bowl, to leverage the power of their combined product portfolios.

The 2016 joint selling program contributed to sales increases for Snickers, Skittles and Starburst throughout the Super Bowl selling season. Although this is always a productive time period, Mars and Wrigley were able to drive an additional 20 percent incremental sales above what is typical, according to the companies.

"Our Snickers/Skittles Super Bowl promotion in January featured the new Snickers Crisper, one of the best new brand launches across all categories in several years," the companies said. "The strong Super Bowl promotion helped us carry a yearlong Snickers campaign, which has resulted in a 63 percent increase in the Snickers brand year-to-date."

The Candy Bowl gives consumers the chance to join Team Snickers or Team Skittles by texting a picture of their favorite product to win instant prizes, unlock exclusive content and enter to win a Grand Prize Sweepstakes. The joint selling program will be supported by a series of integrated activities, including joint in-store displays and consumer promotions designed to help retailers drive sales around the Super Bowl, which marks the year's biggest snacking occasion following Thanksgiving.