Key Takeaways:
- Bud Light brews limited-edition NFTs in preparation for the launch of zero-carb beer.
- The release comes a week before Super Bowl LVI, where the brand is also airing a TV commercial for the healthier Bud Light Next.
Bud Light is launching its first zero-carb beer, Bud Light Next, in conjunction with a new nonfungible token (NFT) project and Super Bowl campaign. As the line between physical and virtual becomes increasingly blurred, such drops have become increasingly popular in the advertising space.
Bud Light will release the Bud Light N3XT Collection to promote the healthier beverage, which will include 12,722 unique tokens designed in the blue and white colour hues of the new brew’s packaging. The tokens, which cost $399 each, are restricted to consumers 21 and older and are only available in the United States to those who pay with ethereum or fiat currency.
In addition to the token, purchasing the NFT allows buyers to vote on Bud Light Next merchandise and gain access to brand and partner events. The token will be available on February 6, just one week before the Super Bowl. Bud Light Next will be available nationwide the following day, while Anheuser-Busch will run an in-game commercial during the Super Bowl.
“What we’re seeing in the space… is that NFTs are continuing to redefine how we think about community and ownership, technology, all of that,” said Corey Brown, senior digital director at Bud Light.
“At the same time, Bud Light has always been about innovation since its inception in 1982. So, what better time to launch something of this magnitude than right now, when we are redefining the beer landscape with this new product called Bud Light Next?”
Bud Light also hopes that Bud Light Next, which is packaged in a can reminiscent of an energy drink, will appeal to customers who want a beer with the nutritional stats of hard seltzer. In recent years, hard seltzer has seen a meteoric rise, with $4.5 billion in sales between May 2020 and May 2021. White Claw, owned by Mark Anthony Brands, and Boston Beer Co.’s Truly account for 75% t of the market share, with Bud Light also offering a seltzer option.
