The beer giant has signed a deal with startup Super Connector Studios to promote TV shows and movies around its biggest brands, including Bud Light and Stella Artois.
Founded in 2023 by advertising industry veterans Jay Goodman and John Kaplan, SuperConnector serves as a management consulting firm, branded entertainment production company, and consumer brand accelerator.
AB InBev had created an entertainment division called DraftLine Entertainment to develop projects that could be sold to streamers such as Netflix. AB InBev, like other big marketers, is increasingly turning to Hollywood to get its message across to consumers who spend a lot of their time on ad-free streamers.
However, no projects have been announced so far, and Draftline Entertainment head Lauren Denowitz announced her decision to close down the company late last year due to the backlash from its partnership with transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney. He left the company, which led to protests and a drop in sales. At the time, the company said it would continue working in the entertainment space, but did not provide further details.
AB InBev previously worked with Michael Sugar's production company Sugar23, known for the Oscar-winning Spotlight, and continues to work on projects with AB InBev.
AB InBev is well known for its marketing, so the company's moves in branded entertainment are likely to draw attention from other marketers trying to figure out how to navigate Hollywood.
The idea is that by hiring a company like SuperConnector, AB InBev could tap into a set of Hollywood production companies and co-develop or co-finance projects. Goodman and Kaplan are Hollywood insiders who started CAA's first marketing consulting firm and helped found Nike's studio division, Waffle Iron Entertainment.
Many brands hire production companies, advertising agencies, or talent agencies to leverage their Hollywood relationships and expertise.
However, producing filmed entertainment requires a mindset shift that not all companies are ready for. Some projects are still too promotional to resonate as pure entertainment for viewers.
Marketers also need to pitch the idea to the company's chief financial officer, who may be skeptical that such a project can meet business goals. Filmed entertainment takes longer to produce than traditional advertising and deviates from traditional standards for advertising effectiveness because streamers rarely share audience data. Additionally, chief marketing officers often don't stay in their roles for long, which discourages them from pursuing projects that take a long time to develop.