Super Bowl LVII dubbed ‘Betting Bowl or Beer Bowl’ amid Molson Coors-DraftKings team-up: Brand VPs

Miller Family of Brands Global VP Sofia Colucci and Coors Family of Brands Global VP Marcelo Pascoa talk about the partnership between Molson Cooks and DraftKings for the Super Bowl.

Video transcript

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DAVE BRIGGS: Yeah, forget Chiefs-Eagles. Miller-Coors, that's the real matchup. For the first time in 30 years, Molson Coors is returning to the big game. The beverage company's high-stakes beer ad during Super Bowl LVII comes after rival AB InBev ends its alcohol advertising exclusivity during the game, which took effect back in the late '80s.

Joining us now for what we can expect on Sunday and how fans can cash in are Sofia Colucci, global VP of Miller family of brands, and Marcelo Pascoa, global VP of Coors family of brands. Nice to have you guys together.

Nice jacket there, Sofia. Let's start with you. It's not a no-brainer to advertise, even though the exclusivity is gone. It's $7 mil for 30 seconds. Why is this opportunity worth it for you?

SOFIA COLUCCI: Well, and thank you for the compliment on the jacket. I think Marcelo is a little jealous that he doesn't have the massive branding that I have right now. [LAUGHS]

But look, the Super Bowl is a massive beer-drinking occasion, and we've been waiting for over 30 years for this moment, and we've been pretty public about it. It took us less than a minute to decide to buy an ad once we heard that exclusivity was no longer.

And we deliberately designed this in a way that not only excites our fans leading up to the game but it also has them engaged during those pivotal 30 seconds because they wouldn't have seen the ad before, and we really want to make it count.

DAVE BRIGGS: Marcelo, why, to you, is it worth that type of ad expenditure?

MARCELO PASCOA: Listen, you have to think about the entire program, right? Like, I think that if you're only focused on what you're doing during those 30 seconds, it's probably not really that worth it. But we have a full program that goes way beyond what is happening in the 30 seconds. Actually, the 30 seconds is going to be the climax of something that is going on very strongly right now.

So we're asking all of our fans to go on DraftKings and try to predict every single element of the commercial that we're going to be running in the big game. So if you can build a program that is going to engage consumers and help sell a ton of beer, then it's definitely worth it, but it has to be beyond what is happening in those 30 seconds.

DAVE BRIGGS: Yeah, two weeks of build up is what truly makes this, dare I say it, almost a bargain. Sofia, make your case. Why Miller over Coors?

SOFIA COLUCCI: I mean, it's obvious. First of all, great taste, less filling. We are the original light beer. We are growing share in the total beer category. We have 16 NFL alliances. And look, we've got pretty great swag, as you can see.

DAVE BRIGGS: I grew up in Colorado on the Coors Light. So I've got to ask you, Marcelo, why Coors?

MARCELO PASCOA: Listen, to me, it's a no-brainer. And I appreciate Sofia's point, but first of all, the Coors master brand is celebrating in 2023 150 years. It's our 150th anniversary. What better present for a brand to celebrate 150 years than a spot in the big game?

We are the biggest brand in the building. We're an iconic brand that can bring the kind of mountain-cold refreshment that people need when they are watching a game like this. So for me, the case is pretty obvious. It has to be Coors Light.

DAVE BRIGGS: Sofia, curious about the partnership with DraftKings. Why was the moment right for that?

SOFIA COLUCCI: Yeah, absolutely. We've had a partnership with DraftKings now for a number of years. They're wonderful partners. And look, we're seeing now too the idea of betting, gamification, it is massive right now. It's super popular. And people aren't just betting on sports. They're betting on who will win "The Bachelor?"

So it's just a really big thing in culture right now, and people are talking about this being the betting bowl and the beer bowl. And we are, you know, on trend and leading it on both fronts. So we're really proud about that.

DAVE BRIGGS: Marcelo, the ongoing theory is that you guys are going to share the spotlight on Super Bowl Sunday. Your reaction?

MARCELO PASCOA: Well, first of all, if you want to know what's going to happen, you should watch the spot during the game. There are certain elements of the spot that I don't really know. Even myself and Sofia, we don't even know what's actually going to happen. Like, our boss, the CMO, Michelle St. Jacques, she holds some of the answers that even Sofia and I don't have.

So my recommendation to everyone, if you want to know what happens, tune in during the big game and see who is actually going to take it.

DAVE BRIGGS: All right, well, you've piqued our curiosity. Thank you both Sofia Colucci, Marcelo Pascoa. We'll be watching indeed with a hundred million other Americans. Thank you both.