As NBA free agency was getting ready to kick off, Giannis Antetokounmpo had his first true national advertisement. The advertisement was with Budweiser. That is a major blow to the City of Milwaukee. MillerCoors is in his backyard and he’s working with Budweiser. I freaked out as everyone else did. But in reality, this was likely a corporate spot from Budweiser and they decided to utilize Giannis for two reasons. One, the global reach that this ad can have. Budweiser can put this ad in 100 different languages and boom, you’re golden. Two, it is a great petty move against their biggest rival with nothing they can do about it.

Your big moment is as big as the people you share it with #neverdreamalone @Budweiser pic.twitter.com/iLUlOY715y

— Giannis Ugo Antetokounmpo (@Giannis_An34) August 2, 2021

It is hard to remember Budweiser doing an ad like this in the past. They obviously had a partnership with Jimmy Butler using their Michelob Ultra brand last season. But this is the first time Budweiser has gotten out in front with an athlete in a long time it feels like. They’ve had this deal for a while. Never used LeBron James in any sort of ad. But they decide to pull the trigger with Giannis? It feels very intentional. I don’t expect Giannis to be a Bud ambassador but I do think they use him as leverage to grow their NBA partnership. It’s a tough look for MolsenCoors, but they have to eat it.

Charlie.