Alcohol brands are giving consumers a taste of what life will look like post-pandemic.

Alcohol brands are giving consumers a taste of what life will look like post-pandemic. According to Kantar, beer brands spent nearly $3 million less on advertising in 2020 compared to 2019. Now, alcohol brands aren’t “waiting for the world to change,” and are giving consumers an optimistic view of what life will look like post-COVID. Bud Light and Dos Equis recently introduced campaigns that point at the return to normalcy with both “Bud Light Summer Stimmy” and Dos Equis’ “A Dos of XX,” featuring spots of people getting ready for a night out with their friends. Kona Brewing Co. also recently hosted an in-person event in Denver, all signs that alcohol brands are gradually returning to pre-pandemic messaging. Still, it’s important to note the efforts these brands (and many more) have taken to meet consumers where they’re at during the pandemic (a.k.a. in their homes and socially distanced). Instead of dwelling on the fact that people still can’t party like it’s 2019, they’re putting a positive spin on what 2021 (and 2022) will look like. YPulse’s data shows that Gen Z and Millennials are ready to get out this summer, and this gradual shift to post-pandemic marketing could be the extra dose of happy everyone needs right now. (Digiday)