Constellation Brands spends US$155 million on Modelo advertising

According to new data, Modelo Especial is the most-advertised beer brand on American television, with its owner Constellation Brands digging deep to fund its continued exposure.

Mexican beer brand Modelo Especial is currently the best-selling beer in the US (as measured by dollar sales), overtaking the likes of Corona and Bud Light to snatch the crown. But it’s newfound popularity may not only be down to the beer’s taste, but to the considerable sums dedicated to its advertising and promotion.

According to advertising spend data collated by measurement firm iSpot, Modelo is the largest buyer of TV ads so far this year, spending an estimated $65 million as of July 2024.

Last year, Modelo spent US$155 million on TV ads, according to the iSpot data, and the brand plans to top this spend in 2024.

A report by Marketing Brew details how Modelo only made its first English-speaking TV ad as recently as 2015, yet has shot to the top of the beer category in terms of advertising budget in just nine years.

Total national TV ad spend for the beer category has plummeted in the United States by around 20% between 2019 and 2023, falling from US$917 million to US$734 million. Major brands such as Budweiser and Bud Light have reduced their TV ad spend by 77% and 38%, respectively, iSpot found, creating a window for Modelo to burst onto TV screens across the US.

Interestingly, analysis by hospitality data platform Union showed that Modelo saw a major boost in bar and restaurant sales during this year’s Super Bowl Sunday, up 66% than on a typical day, despite Modelo choosing not to advertise during the NFL event. Rivals Bud Light, Budweiser, Coors and Michelob Ultra all bought advertising during the Super Bowl.

However, Modelo has won plaudits for its ‘Mark of a fighter’ TV ad campaign, depicting three Hispanic women modifying a classic car. It includes the line: “Because it’s the things you make that show what you’re made of.”

The advert made its debut in March 2023, conceptualised by Grey New York. The campaign positions Modelo is being the reward for those who choose to live the life of a fighter and recognises the struggles and adversity faced by people from all walks of life.