Molson Coors Finally Chose Its Favorite Beer For Its Super Bowl 2023 Ad

Beer commercials during the Super Bowl are nothing new. After all, beer and football go together like ... peanut butter and jelly, salt and pepper, ham and brie. 

But Molson Coors' Super Bowl LVII ad veers from the norm. And according to Forbes, not even Molson Coors' CEO knew what brand would end up in top of the company's 30-second spot. St. Jacques Marketing was tasked with creating the ad, working in tandem with betting platform DraftKings to integrate a gambling pool into the whole process. There was apparently a $500,000 pool for fans to bet on details about the ad.

The 2023 Super Bowl is the first to take place in a state where sports betting is legal, and integrating wagers into ad structure seems like a natural next step. Bets can be placed on elements extraneous to the game (such as how many seconds the National Anthem will last or how the coin toss will end. So why not bet on the commercials, too? But for Molson Coors, the biggest question was which beer the ad spot was actually for.

Molson Coors' ad starts by announcing itself as a Coors Light commercial — only to be challenged by another contender with Miller Lite in hand. Choreographed fight sequences ensue, complete with flying objects (including Miller Lite beer coasters), ice-coated floors, and slogans bandied about throughout the fight. Just when Coors Light appears to have finally gained the upper hand, Miller Lite resurrects from the other side of a brick wall, beer back in hand. As the duo vie for bar space for their favorite brew, a voice from above brings a beautiful wheat beer onto the counter, and a spotlight onto a Blue Moon glass. The ad declares, "Actually, it's a Blue Moon commercial."

Blue Moon was a surprising underdog in the Super Bowl 2023 commercial, which only makes the ad spot more memorable. And allowing viewers to bet on details such as what the bartender is wearing makes viewers more attentive and invested in the ad.

According to Forbes, several versions of the commercial were filmed. So if things turn out differently the next time it airs, fans shouldn't be too surprised. Keeping fans guessing seems to be a winning format for the company.