4 Boundary-Pushing Ads from Michelob ULTRA and FCB New York
FCB New York and its client Michelob ULTRA have, in recent years, had a bit of a knack for pushing the boundaries of technology in recent ways to enhance people's enjoyment of sports.
Like in 2020, when Covid restrictions made it impossible for fans to attend games in person, and they launched 'Courtside', a platform that allowed fans to attend virtually — which included seeing their faces in the stands and chatting with people in their 'section' — by scanning a Michelob ULTRA bottle.
In 2023, they were awarded the Sports EMMY for Outstanding Digital Innovation by the International Academy of Television Arts & Sciences for the ground-breaking long-form film 'McEnroe vs McEnroe', a first-of-its-kind branded AI activation that aired as a prime-time special on ESPN.
What’s more, their ‘Dreamcaster’ campaign, which saw Cameron Black become the first ever blind person to commentate a live NBA game, led the agency to a second consecutive Sports EMMY in Outstanding Digital Innovation at this year’s Awards. The latest work from the partnership, ‘Lap of Legends’, leans into Formula1, the fastest-growing sport globally, and is already doing well on the awards circuit having bagged two Gold in Digital Craft and Entertainment for Sport at Cannes Lions this year.
Michelob ULTRA’s distinct positioning around joy — doubling down on cultural relevance, grabbing people’s attention, and reminding them that joy is not just an afterthought — has led them to become the fastest growing beer brand in the U.S. With the help of FCB New York, it has achieved this success despite relentless category competition in the light beer category.
To find out a little more about each of these boundary-pushing campaigns, LBB's Addison Capper tapped FCB New York's chief creative officer, Michael Aimette, and executive creative director, Alex Abrantes.
#1 Courtside
When covid didn't allow fans to watch games live, we brought them ‘Courtside’.
With an unbridled belief that ‘It’s Only Worth It If You Enjoy It’, Michelob ULTRA and FCB New York brought joy to NBA fans and players when they needed it the most: when covid-19 lockdowns prevented fans from watching live games in arenas.
By inventing a new, virtual way to put fans in the stands during lockdowns, Courtside broke the rules of ‘sponsorship’, set a new cultural standard for live event viewing, and used game-changing creativity… to literally change the game forever.
In a year when distribution (physical availability) remained flat, the brand was the industry’s biggest share-gainer, with Michelob ULTRA gaining +69 points of market share.
Michael Aimette, chief creative officer, FCB New York
#2 McEnroe vs McEnroe
The ‘McEnroe vs. McEnroe’ match gave the legend himself, John McEnroe, the opportunity to compete against five avatar versions of his younger, emotion-fueled self, and ultimately inspire people to cherish the journey.
We created a one-of-a-kind sports event, live on ESPN, in which McEnroe rediscovered the joy of his career by playing a tennis match against AI-based versions of his younger self.
Michael Aimette, chief creative officer, FCB New York
#3 Dreamcaster
Michelob ULTRA and FCB New York’s groundbreaking technology made the joy of live sports accessible starting with Cameron Black who used ‘Dreamcaster’ technology to become the first blind person to commentate an NBA game live on TV.
The work is proof that cultural relevance isn’t just a lofty upper-funnel metric, expanding the limits of the brand's platform by adding accessibility to it.
Alex Abrantes, executive creative director, FCB New York
#4 Lap of Legends
Most recently, we tapped into Formula 1, the fastest growing sport globally, with ‘Lap of Legends’, to show that the pressure to win at all costs can get in the way of joy.
In the world’s first-ever real versus virtual race, Michelob ULTRA and FCB New York created something that people go out of their way to watch, that TV networks and streaming platforms fight for, and that other brands buy ad space in, redefining the relationship between brands, their content, and their audiences.
Alex Abrantes, executive creative director, FCB New York
