Whether it’s santé, prost, iechyd da, skål, or yamas, if there is one custom that unites the world, it’s the meaningful clink of glasses with a resounding “cheers!”
Ahead of International Beer Day on August 7, the world’s largest brewer, AB InBev, is giving thanks to the age-old brew for bringing people together across cultures and generations, after rising beer sales put the wind back in the sails of its stagnating drinks business.
Created by Wieden+Kennedy, “Cheers to Beer” resumes where the brewer’s emotional pandemic hit, “Let’s Grab a Beer,” left off. The new ad presents vignettes of people from around the world toasting each other with AB InBev’s range of beers, including Budweiser, Corona, Michelob, and Stella Artois.
Shot by Reset production company, the spot covers a reassuring “good luck” at a live country music gig, a silent “you’re going to be alright” clink, a “wow look at this secret beach” cheers, and a “we bought a house” celebration, until ending with the message, “To a future with more cheers.”
The campaign coincides with new global research commissioned by AB InBev and conducted by Ipsos and IWSR, which found beer is gaining share despite competition from beverage alternatives. The report revealed that the beer and beyond beer category grew from approximately 46% of total alcohol servings in 2019 to more than 50% in 2026.
“Beer is universal and woven into cultures and communities around the world,” AB InBev CEO Michel Doukeris said in a statement. “No matter who you are, what you do for a living, or where you live, when someone says, ‘Let’s grab a beer,’ you know it means something more. It’s an invitation to celebrate or to simply connect.”
Doukeris previously attributed the “important role” of beer in “bringing people together and creating moments of celebration” as the reason for the company’s rising alcohol sales this year, even as the inflation squeeze and healthier lifestyles put pressure on the alcohol sector.
