Brewing conglomerate AB InBev announced today the suspension of one of its current ad campaigns for Corona, the world’s biggest-selling Mexican beer.
Early in the Coronavirus pandemic, the marketing gurus at AB InBev decided to essentially ignore the obvious verbal connection between their product and the deadly disease. Acting as though blissfully unaware that “corona” had any negative connotations, AB InBev’s ads simply continued to follow the tried-and-true, using their established visual arsenal of various tropical beaches and a theme of carefree relaxation.
In spite of a plethora of “I ain’t touching a Corona until there’s a vaccine” jokes and flagging sales, the brand’s parent entity late last year decided to double down on their traditional marketing strategy by launching what their PR team termed — in the most unfortunate use of a cliche in recent memory — a “viral ad campaign” for the watery, south-of-the-border lager.
Starting in November, new Corona ambush ads started appearing embedded in YouTube music videos, Instagram influencer’s travel blogs and Facebook newsfeeds. The twist? The slogans were all seemingly COVID-19 related, or COVID-oblivious if one presumes the worst about AB InBev’s flacks.
Example of Corona’s new, and quite literally viral, ad campaign included “Corona makes you want to bring out your dead,” “100,000 dead Mexicans can’t be wrong” or “if our water doesn’t kill you, the Chinese cooties will. Drink a goddamn beer. We’re all going to die soon enough.”
Faced with massive negative pushback from the media, consumers and industry observers, AB InBev has this week decided to suspend this series of mini-ads peppering various social media platforms and launch a new campaign centered around a return to traditional beer-drinking values.
Bringing back a much loved theme from just a couple of years ago, the new ads feature “the world’s most interesting man.” Asked why they were using a character associated with their rival Dos Equis, an AB InBev spokesperson explained that “we bought him, hook, line and craggy features. Americans can’t tell the difference between various Mexican beers, let alone various Mexicans, so it’ll work out fine.”
The new ads feature the original actor, face-down on a hospital gurney, hooked up to a ventilator and being fed beer through an intravenous drip. The new slogan? “I don’t always drink beer, but when I do, I’m usually near death. Stay thirsty, my friends. Or die choking on your own phlegm while lying on your stomach.” At AB InBev headquarters in Brussels, the tuxedos for this year’s Cleo awards were already being ordered.