Busch Light has a penchant for the great outdoors and mellow music stars. Last year, the AB InBev brand’s regional ad starred a larger-than-life Kenny G serenading the mountains. This year, balladeer Sarah McLachlan ventures into the great outdoors for the brewer.
McLachlan, known for her Lilith Fair-headlining music and heartfelt promotion of the ASPCA, is the centerpiece—and punchline—of Busch Light’s first national Super Bowl ad since 2017.
The spot by The Martin Agency, “Shelter,” starts with Busch Light’s rugged mascot Busch Guy teaching outdoor survival skills. McLachlan then enters, her tearjerker tune “Angel” playing in the background, as she unzips a tent she shares with a wolf.
“Kenny G was the perfect partner to help us kick off our return to the Super Bowl last year because his music is as smooth as an ice-cold Busch Light,” Krystyn Stowe, head of marketing for Busch Family Brands at Anheuser-Busch, told Adweek.
“Following last year’s reprisal of ‘Head for the Mountains‘, we wanted to revive another commercial classic that provides more reasons to crack open a Busch Light during this year’s Super Bowl.”
Stowe said the brand is continuing to see growth in new markets beyond its stronghold in the Midwest, and Busch Light wanted to give its fans something fun and lighthearted to look forward to during the Big Game with McLachlan’s spot, which is why it finally decided to buy a national spot.
With VFX & Colour by The Mill. Graded by Paul Yacono
