New Television Advertising Highlights Bud Light All-Star Party

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    FT. LAUDERDALE, Fla., Feb. 1 /PRNewswire/ -- Bud Light unveiled the
 brand's 2003 NHL-themed television advertising last night during its 6th
 annual All-Star party and press conference.
     (Photo:  http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20030201/NYSA003)
     "The evening was a wonderful success.  Every year we look forward to the
 NHL All-Star weekend and unveiling Bud Light's hockey-themed advertising for
 the second half of the season," said Phil Ware, Bud Light brand manager,
 Anheuser-Busch, Inc.  "The new TV and radio commercials for the 'Hockey Falls'
 campaign begins airing this weekend, and the fans who saw an exclusive preview
 seemed to really enjoy them.  This campaign has been very popular with hockey
 fans since we introduced it last year."
     Special guests at the party included Wayne Gretzky and Phil Esposito, as
 well as ESPN's Bill Clement, Barry Melrose and Brian Engblom.  Clement,
 Melrose and Engblom appear in several of the Bud Light 'Hockey Falls' ads that
 will debut during the broadcast of the NHL All-Star Skills Competition on
 Saturday on ESPN.
     The 'Hockey Falls' campaign kicked off in February 2002.  The advertising
 centers around a group of friends who live in the fictional town of Hockey
 Falls, a small town up north where hockey is a way of life.  The four
 friends -- Ray, Dooger, Steve and Matt all wear mullets and their favorite NHL
 team's jersey.
 
      -- Ray's team is the Boston Bruins and his favorite player is Bobby Orr.
         Ray works at the local paper, the Falls Gazette, and helps out at the
         rink on the weekends.
 
      -- Dooger's team is the St. Louis Blues and his favorite player is Chris
         Pronger.  Dooger is a teller at Falls Savings & Loan and is in line
         for a promotion.
 
      -- Steve's team is the New Jersey Devils for now, and his favorite player
         is Scott Stevens.  He grew up a Buffalo Sabres fan while worshiping
         Rick Martin and the "French Connection" line.  Steve currently manages
         Falls Hardware.
 
      -- Matt's team is the New York Rangers.  His favorite players are Brad
         Park and Wayne Gretzky.  Matt works at Falls Video during the day and
         delivers pizza at night.
 
     Storyline of several new Bud Light TV ads include:
 
     -- "Warm Up" -- The team is winded as they sit back and catch their breath
         in the locker room, while Coach Melrose distributes cold Bud Lights.
         Referee enters to tell the guys that the first period begins in 5
         minutes.
 
      -- "Hockey Night" -- Dooger tries to have a romantic moment with his
          girlfriend while watching the game on TV, but it appears they have an
          audience as well.
 
      -- "Letter"-- Ray receives a rather interesting response to his repeated
          inquiries regarding a tryout with the Bruins hockey club.
 
     "The NHL All-Star weekend is also the kickoff to the annual Bud Light
 Bubble Boys promotion that gives consumers across the country the opportunity
 to attend the Stanley Cup courtesy of Bud Light," added Ware.
     Serving as the "official beer of the NHL" in the U.S., Bud Light detailed
 plans for its high-energy hockey promotion as part of its sponsorship and to
 generate excitement with hockey fans and consumers alike.  The Bubble Boys
 hockey promotion has grown from 17 to 32 markets since its debut in 1999.
     Beginning Monday, local bars in 32 U.S. markets will host Bud Light Bubble
 Boys hockey tournaments.  Following the eight-week competition, local
 finalists advance to the Stanley Cup Finals to compete for the National Bubble
 Boys Championship trophy and an opportunity to play against Gretzky and
 Esposito.
     Bud Light will also be hosting Bud Light Bubble Zone, which will appear at
 the NHL All-Star block party, a life-sized traveling version of the Bubble Boy
 Game in select markets, as well as the "Bud Light Party Zone," now in place at
 15 NHL sites this season.
     Along with the Bubble Boys promotion, Bud Light supports its NHL
 sponsorship by annually awarding the Bud Light/ NHL All-Star Most Valuable
 Player Award.  New this year, fans can log on to NHL.com or ESPN.com to cast
 their vote for their choice for MVP during the third period of the 2003 NHL
 All-Star Game.  The MVP will receive a specially commissioned crystal
 sculpture, presented on behalf of Bud Light immediately following the game.
 In addition, Bud Light supports their NHL sponsorship with the Bud Light
 Plus/Minus Award, which recognizes the player recording the top overall
 plus-minus rating during the regular season.
     Bud Light, the world's best-selling light beer, is brewed by
 Anheuser-Busch, Inc., the world's largest brewer.
 
 

SOURCE  Bud Light