MICHELOB ULTRA
After decades of decline, the American light beer category was fading. Michelob Ultra, known as a low-carb diet beer, was caught in the downturn, with no clear plan for reversal.
But outside the category, culture was shifting. Fitness was becoming status. Active was the new premium. And working out was turning into a social experience, fueled by the rise of Run Clubs, CrossFit boxes, and a generation that treated the gym like the new neighborhood bar.
We saw an opportunity: reposition Michelob Ultra as the world’s first beer/fitness hybrid brand.
We built a new brand platform grounded in the emerging Social Fitness movement, merging working out and going out. It wasn’t about recovery, it was about rhythm. The idea that one social ritual — fitness — naturally led to another: having a beer.
To amplify the relaunch, we devised a content strategy that extended the campaign well beyond its Super Bowl debut. The platform activated local Run Clubs, CrossFit communities, and social media collaborations, creating a nationwide content ecosystem rooted in real culture.
The results were immediate. Michelob Ultra saw a 22% increase in total volume, 6× share growth, and 6.2 million new household users. While the rest of the category continued to decline, Michelob Ultra surged, becoming the fastest-growing beer brand in the world and rising from the 8th to the 5th largest beer globally by 2018.
But outside the category, culture was shifting. Fitness was becoming status. Active was the new premium. And working out was turning into a social experience, fueled by the rise of Run Clubs, CrossFit boxes, and a generation that treated the gym like the new neighborhood bar.
We saw an opportunity: reposition Michelob Ultra as the world’s first beer/fitness hybrid brand.
We built a new brand platform grounded in the emerging Social Fitness movement, merging working out and going out. It wasn’t about recovery, it was about rhythm. The idea that one social ritual — fitness — naturally led to another: having a beer.
To amplify the relaunch, we devised a content strategy that extended the campaign well beyond its Super Bowl debut. The platform activated local Run Clubs, CrossFit communities, and social media collaborations, creating a nationwide content ecosystem rooted in real culture.
The results were immediate. Michelob Ultra saw a 22% increase in total volume, 6× share growth, and 6.2 million new household users. While the rest of the category continued to decline, Michelob Ultra surged, becoming the fastest-growing beer brand in the world and rising from the 8th to the 5th largest beer globally by 2018.