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Tag: exec

Bud Light exec reveals the ‘four things’ that made this year’s Super Bowl ad a success

UFC president Dana White reacts to making Bud Light UFC’s official beer after the beer giant faced intense backlash following its partnership with trans activist Dylan Mulvaney on ‘Hannity.’

Bud Light’s Super Bowl ad starring comedian Shane Gillis, rapper Post Malone and football great Peyton Manning has garnered the brewer rave reviews online, and a senior executive attributes this success to “putting our fans first.”

“When beginning the process of developing our Super Bowl ad, we prioritized the core components of what makes a Bud Light commercial,” Bud Light Senior VP of Marketing Todd Allen told Fox News Digital.

Bud Light’s ad “Big Men on Cul-De-Sac” featured Gillis and Malone as suburban homeowners who come to a neighbor’s rescue after he “accidentally threw a lame party.” Together, with the help of Bud Light and Peyton Manning, the duo transform the party into an event so raucous that Gillis has to tell his neighbors to settle down lest he invoke the wrath of the HOA board.

BEER INDUSTRY EXPERT SAYS BUD LIGHT IS DOING ‘ALL THE RIGHT THINGS’ WITH SHANE GILLIS SUPER BOWL AD

Bud Light cans are seen in the store in Montreal, Canada on June 16, 2023. (Jakub Porzycki/NurPhoto via Getty Images / Getty Images)

The ad came seventh in USA Today’s ad meter, which had Super Bowl viewers rate their favorite ads from the game. It was the fourth most watched ad of the Super Bowl, Variety reported.

Allen attributes the ad’s resonance with viewers to four things: “Putting our fans first, delivering Bud Light’s classic humor, engaging an A-list cast who are both brand partners and genuine fans of the brand, and, finally, centering the spot around one of our platforms that celebrates easy enjoyment.”

“We wanted consumers to be able to see themselves, their friends or their neighbors in this year’s spot,” Allen said.

The ad won the beer maker praise from industry observer and publisher of Beer Business Daily Publisher Harry Schuhmacher, who told Fox News Digital that Bud Light “did all the right things” in the BMOC ad.

UFC’S DANA WHITE SAYS BUD LIGHT PARTNERSHIP WAS NOT ‘DETERMINED BY MONEY’

Former football quarterback Terry Bradshaw (L) speaks with Philadelphia Eagles owner, chairman and CEO Jeffrey Lurie as Philadelphia Eagles’ quarterback #01 Jalen Hurts and Philadelphia Eagles’ head coach Nick Sirianni watch after they defeated the K (TIMOTHY A. CLARY/AFP via Getty Images / Getty Images)

“Bud Light has always been associated with a blue-collar working class. You know, relaxation, barbecuing, those, you know, country music, those type of deal situations and occasions, so yeah, it makes much more natural sense. They’ve done all the right things.”

The ad was a tonal departure from their controversial partnership with transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney. Longtime Bud Light drinkers revolted after the company partnered with Mulvaney, causing sales revenue to plunge.

However, BMOC appears to show that Bud Light has learned its lessons, with wholesalers praising the ad as a return to form.

Host Peyton Manning speaks onstage at The 2017 ESPYS at Microsoft Theater on July 12, 2017, in Los Angeles, California. (Kevin Mazur/Getty Images / Getty Images)

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“This ad is one of the best I have seen in my 40-year career. This ad opens up the Bud Light brand to all consumers and invites Bud Light into every home in America as an approachable and accepted American Lager,” Anheuser Bush/InBev beer distributor Col. John Saputo told Fox News Digital.

February 17, 2025
NHL exec hopes Canadians avoid ‘unfortunate situation’ of booing US national anthem ahead of rivalry game

The USA-Canada rivalry on the ice is a longstanding one, but the rivalry appears to have gone political.

The bordering countries will take the ice Saturday night in Montreal for the 4 Nations Face-Off, the first time the two countries have played against each other in a best-on-best format since the World Cup of Hockey in 2016.

When Team USA faced Finland Thursday night in Canada, the crowd was anti-U.S., booing the American players and, later, the national anthem despite the public address announcer pleading with fans to respect both anthems.

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Team USA forward Brady Tkachuk celebrates a goal against Team Finland in the third period during a 4 Nations Face-Off game at Bell Centre. (David Kirouac/Imagn Images)

“I think it’s obviously an unfortunate situation. I don’t think anybody likes when anthems are booed or disrespected in any way, and certainly we count ourselves among that group,” Bill Daly, the NHL’s deputy commissioner, told Bloomberg’s “Business of Sports” podcast.

A rivalry is a rivalry, but tensions between Canadians and the United States are high after President Donald Trump announced 25% tariffs on goods imported from the north. He also said Canada could become the “51st state.”

Raptors and Senators fans also booed the “Star-Spangled Banner” earlier this month when American teams visited Toronto and Ottawa. Vancouver Canucks announcer John Shorthouse even joked that a penalty would be 2½ minutes because of the 25% tariffs.

Charlie McAvoy (25), Jake Guentzel (59), Zach Werenski (8), Auston Matthews (34) and Jack Hughes (86) of the United States stand at their blue line during the singing of the United Sates national anthem before a 4 Nations Face-Off game against Finland at Bell Centre Feb. 13, 2025, in Montreal. (Vitor Munhoz/4NFO/World Cup of Hocky via Getty Images)

TEAM USA STAR MATTHEW TKACHUK DELIVERS STERN ONE-LINER AFTER CANADIAN FANS BOO DURING AMERICAN NATIONAL ANTHEM

Daly said the NHL is “monitoring the situation.”

“I do think it’s ebbing a little bit,” Daly said. “Our experience just this past week in Montreal was a positive experience, with two American teams playing there. So, I hope that that will continue. Sport is a way of breaking down barriers and bringing people closer together, and we hope that this tournament can help do that, for sure.”

The puck drops at 8 p.m. A win in regulation for the U.S. will clinch a spot in next Saturday’s one-game final. There is a chance the two could play each other for the tournament title when it moves to Boston next week.

Matt Boldy (12) of the United States celebrates with Jaccob Slavin (74), Brock Faber (14), Kyle Connor (8) and J.T. Miller (10) after Boldy scored a goal during the second period of a 4 Nations Face-Off game against Finland at Bell Centre Feb. 13, 2025, in Montreal. (Andrea Cardin/4NFO/World Cup of Hockey via Getty Images)

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Canada famously beat the U.S. in the 2010 Olympic gold medal game in Vancouver with a Sidney Crosby overtime goal.

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February 15, 2025
Bud Light hasn’t recovered from Mulvaney controversy, ex-Anheuser-Busch exec says

Former Anheuser-Busch President of Operations Anson Frericks breaks down the role DEI and ESG played in companies, the toll that the Dylan Mulvaney controversy took on Bud Light and whether companies should avoid political issues.

Bud Light has not yet recuperated from the Dylan Mulvaney controversy, according to a former Anheuser-Busch executive.

“They haven’t at all [recovered],” former Anheuser-Busch President of Operations Anson Frericks said Tuesday during an interview on FOX Business’ “Varney & Co.” Tuesday.

Despite companies backing away from pushing politics through DEI and ESG policies, the damage to Bud Light is still taking its toll as “they continue to shed customers,” Frericks said.

BUD LIGHT SALES STILL SUFFERING IN US A YEAR AFTER CONTROVERSY

The beer brand stumbled into controversy in 2023 following a partnership with transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney. The tag team with the influencer sparked outrage from consumers, resulting in a drop in sales, customers and shareholder value. The company also saw itself being surpassed in sales by Michelob Ultra and Modelo Especial.

Bud Light sales were down 29.9% year-over-year for the week ending Jan. 20, compared with the same period last year, according to the latest numbers provided to FOX Business by Bump Williams Consulting, which analyzed NielsenIQ data.

“I think that’s one of the most interesting parts about this story is that they lost 30% of their customers,” he pointed out. “Millions of customers, billions of dollars of shareholder value over the last couple of years.”

Bud Light’s 2023 partnership with transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney saw consumer outrage and an exodus of customers. Former Anheuser-Busch executive Anson Frericks believes the beer brand has yet to recover from the controversy. (Instagram/Fox News / Fox News)

The former executive noted how the partnership impacted stocks and how the brand’s efforts to recover with Super Bowl ads would not relieve the pain.

“They are advertising Bud Light. And candidly, the commercials are actually pretty good,” he said. “They have Shane Gillis who’s about the opposite of Dylan Mulvaney. You couldn’t have maybe someone more opposite. They have Post Malone, but the problem is they’ve lost a lot of their customers.”

BUD LIGHT STILL REELING FROM ‘UNFORCED ERROR’ AS MODELO ESPECIAL AND MICHELOB ULTRA BOTH SURPASSED IT

He also pointed out the dilemma Bud Light faces regarding its vision.

“Their customers are asking them, ‘hey, what is Bud Light going to be moving forward? Is it gonna be more than Shane Gillis and fun in football, or is it Dylan Mulvaney?’”

“Until the company really comes back and says clearly what Bud Light is going to be? I don’t know if any of their loyal customers are going to come back,” he added.

District Media Group President Beverly Hallberg and author Carol Roth discuss whether it’s time for big American companies to ditch their DEI programs on ‘Making Money.’

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Fox News Digital’s Breck Dumas also contributed to this report.

February 7, 2025
NFL players uninterested in expanding regular season to 18 games, NFLPA exec says

While NFL leadership might be excited about the possibility of expanding the regular season, the players apparently don’t share that same enthusiasm.

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell has spoken openly about his interest in expanding the regular season to 18 games. Speaking at a pre-Super Bowl news conference on Monday, he noted that more work would need to be done before making the decision, but expressed the desire to give fans what they want.

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NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell looks on during a news conference in New Orleans on Monday. (AP Photo/Matt York)

“We know fans love football and they want more football. But we have to be incredibly sensitive and smart with the balance and how we deal with that,” said Goodell.

And while fans’ interests are among the top priorities, NFLPA Executive Director Lloyd Howell argued Tuesday that player interest is certainly the top — and players don’t seem to be interested.

“Their side hasn’t raised it, we certainly haven’t raised it. … Any commentary outside of a formal negotiation is just commentary,” Howell said.

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Super Bowl LIX will be streamed on Tubi. (Tubi)

“It’s a player’s decision as to what they will agree to do or not. Right now, when I have talked to players over the last two seasons, no one wants to play an 18th game. No one. Seventeen games is already, for many of the guys, too long.”

Howell continued to argue that health and safety concerns, as well as recovery time, represent the biggest hurdle in expanding the regular season more than it already has.

“No matter what Roger says, you open up that CBA (collective bargaining agreement) and we’re going to get into field surfaces, we’re going to get into safety, we’re going to get into a lot of things,” he said.

NFLPA Executive Director Lloyd Howell speaks during the NFLPA press conference in advance of Super Bowl LIX at the New Orleans Convention Center in New Orleans on Wednesday. (Kirby Lee-Imagn Images)

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Revenue will also be another hot topic. Under the current CBA, the players’ share of league revenue increased from 47% to 48% starting in 2021. That was increased to 48.5% based on the league’s new television contracts after the 17-game schedule was implemented.

But that figure is expected to change if the regular season does expand, Howell said.

“If I’m asking my workforce to work more, it’s not as simple as I’m gonna fall back on the revenue split that already exists,” he said. “There are so many dimensions that hang off the length of the season.”

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell speaks during a news conference in New Orleans on Monday. (AP Photo/Matt York)

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The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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February 6, 2025
OpenAI exec responds to Musk, Altman trading barbs over Stargate: We’re at ‘the tip of the iceberg’

OpenAI CFO Sarah Friar explains how AI is taking center stage at Davos, what the Stargate project means for the macroeconomy and details new products for key customers.

OpenAI’s chief financial officer is setting the record straight on where funding stands for President Donald Trump’s breakthrough artificial intelligence (AI) project.

“I’m close to this deal, I’ve been working on it. If I look tired, this deal is doing it for me. And I feel really good about where we’re at,” Sarah Friar said in a “Mornings with Maria” interview Thursday from the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.

“I think on Elon, look, he’s a competitor,” she added, “but I want us to compete for the right things.”

On Tuesday, President Trump announced a massive $500 billion infrastructure project called Stargate. Major names including Softbank, OpenAI and Oracle plan to join forces to build data centers in the U.S. for the further development of AI, which holds the promise of increasing productivity by automating work.

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The initial investment is expected to be $100 billion and could reach five times that sum. Microsoft, NVIDIA, investor MGX and the chipmaker Arm are also partners in the project.

OpenAI CFO Sarah Friar is defending the company’s stance that they have the financial backing to fund the Stargate AI project. (Getty Images)

But Tesla and SpaceX CEO – and now Department of Government Efficiency co-chair – Elon Musk took to X to express doubts about OpenAI’s ability to financially back Stargate.

“They don’t actually have the money,” Musk posted on X in response to an OpenAI post touting Stargate. “SoftBank has well under $10B secured. I have that on good authority.”

Backing OpenAI CEO Sam Altman’s assertion that Musk is “wrong,” Friar also encouraged Musk to be supportive of Trump’s AI plans despite the Musk-Altman fractured relationship.

President Trump makes a major infrastructure announcement on his second day in office.

“Let’s compete for great outcomes for consumers and businesses. Let’s compete for getting investment and jobs into the United States and also for our allies. And let’s compete on making sure that we are driving the right outcomes from a security perspective, too,” the CFO said Thursday.

“And Elon knows that,” Friar pressed, “because in the end, we are at the tip of the iceberg here. We are scratching the surface of what’s coming. This is the A.I. era. And so, getting caught in distractions amongst ourselves just feels like it’s going to slow down the bigger outcome that we’re all looking for.”

A source familiar with Stargate told FOX Business that Stargate is prepared to deploy the $100 billion immediately, and that the companies in the venture are in a good position to make the investments.

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OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and Anduril Industries co-founder and CEO Brian Schimpf discuss the future of A.I. and the ethical use of technology on ‘Making Money.’

Trying to dampen any tensions, Friar argued that Musk agrees with OpenAI on three core needs for the industry: “amazing people,” and computer and data power.

“That’s why being mission-driven is incredibly important for us, right?” the CFO posited. “We want to make sure we have access to all of those, and we will continue to run the company the way that we see best to get that outcome.”

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FOX Business’ Michael Dorgan contributed to this report.

January 23, 2025