Fans React After Peyton Manning Joins Bud Light’s New Ad Campaign

Bud Light

Bud Light has enlisted former NFL greats Peyton Manning and Emmitt Smith for a new ad campaign.

Anheuser-Busch is rethinking their marketing strategy after taking a hit earlier this year. A massive boycott of the company’s Bud Light brand appears to have led to some big changes, like new celebrity partnerships that will please Bud Light’s conservative followers.

In early April, Bud Light partnered with transgender social media influencer Dylan Mulvaney. As conservative celebrities and media shared negative reactions to the partnership, outrage against the company grew. A boycott followed, resulting in massive financial losses for the company.

RELATED: THE BUD LIGHT BOYCOTT EXPLAINED

In the months since the boycott started, Anheuser-Busch has gone through personnel changes as they attempt to regain the title of America’s most popular beer. They’ve also been more careful about their partnerships.

Peyton Manning and Pro Football Hall of Famer Emmitt Smith are the latest celebrities to team with Bud Light. The NFL greats appear in the ad to promote a Super Bowl ticket giveaway. The television commercial shows the men in a crowded bar, buying drinks for everyone and passing out cans of Bud Light.

“Experiencing the playoffs or the Super Bowl is a special moment for a fan, and I’m happy that Emmitt and I get to be part of Bud Light’s mission to host their largest ever NFL postseason ticket giveaway,” Manning said in a press release.

Manning, who is a longtime friend of country music and has twice hosted the CMA Awards alongside Luke Bryan, sparked backlash after news of his affiliation with Bud Light was made public.

The news shouldn’t come as a surprise to Peyton Manning fans as he has been an outspoken lover of the beer brand for years. In 2014, following a playoff win, Manning told a reporter, “What’s weighing on my mind is how soon I can get a Bud Light in my mouth.”

He made similar comments after winning the Super Bowl two years later, and did so without any compensation from Anheuser-Busch. Yet, fans were still surprised about him appearing in a commercial for the brand.

Watch the new Bud Light ad with Peyton Manning and Emmitt Smith below and let us know what you think about it.