Armchair Quarterback: Omaha Productions & Bud Light

ABOUT THIS ENTRY

Bud Light recognizes Omaha as an agency they can trust to deliver the witty concepts, brilliant scripts, high production value, and athlete-led storytelling that resonates most with their core audiences. With the continued objective to connect with sports fans, the team created Armchair Quarterback—a social-first parody promoting both Bud Light and season two of Omaha’s Netflix docuseries Quarterback. 

In an opening scene featuring Peyton Manning and a buddy watching football, Bud Light in hand, a new storyline unfolds; unlike Quarterback, which features behind-the-scenes access into the lives of three NFL QB’s through a follow-doc format, they propose, “Why doesn’t Netflix make a show about guys like us?” What follows is a comedic take on the new series’ storylines—getting ready for gameday, except the stars of the show aren’t NFL’s top QBs. They’re average Joe fans drinking Bud Light, with no intention of leaving their armchairs. 

How does this represent "Excellence in Engagement"?

Building the whole campaign around the ageless “I can do that” mantra of sports fans everywhere gave an air of relatability to Armchair Quarterback that inspired fans to reflect and respond. By featuring the target audience front and center in the work, Bud Light and Omaha helped fans feel seen. Giving life to the personas that live inside all sports fans helped convert loyal watchers of Armchair Quarterback from target demographics to active participants, letting them proudly share the ad that reflected their enthusiasm across the web. With Armchair Quarterback, Omaha tipped its hat to the fans who have helped build its brand, and those fans paid that back in kind.

Objective

With a long working history of creating entertaining ad spots together, Omaha and Bud Light aimed to deliver the humor they know appeals to sports culture, this time with dual-advertising goals. Engaging directly with the forthcoming season of Quarterback, Armchair Quarterback was positioned as equal parts show preview and product awareness, building a fantastical world around the everyman sports fan. This tongue and cheek approach, poking fun at the audience while acknowledging their passion, is something only a company like Omaha can pull off with the cache they’ve earned after years of delivering the format-breaking content to sports fans. 

The goal was to transpose some of the more eccentric personal routines displayed by the Quarterbacks featured this season onto average Joes, highlighting that some things just make more sense when you are a world-class athlete. This re-contextualizing not only gave fans a preview of some of the more intimate moments of season two of Quarterback, but it also was the creative engine that drove each section of the ad. Armchair Quarterback set out to entertain, inform and create conversation, all in the name of brews, buds, and ball. 

Strategy & Execution

Since Armchair Quarterback had the strategic imperative to promote both a brand and a show, the team had to come up with a creative idea that accomplished both—without one taking up too much of the spotlight. That meant the success of the collaboration depended on a really strong idea.

The team started by leaning into Bud Light and Quarterback’s shared DNA: football. Since the athletes themselves are not found on the couch with a Bud Light in hand on a Sunday afternoon, they knew the skit had to be centered around the fans specifically. This led them to imagine a Quarterback-style documentary about the guys who went D1 in game-day brewskies—a concept that guided the project to success. The social parody spoofs storylines seen in the new season of Quarterback, including practicing the piano for coordination like Joe Burrow, taking meticulous voice memos like Kirk Cousins, and working with a trainer to get game-ready like Jared Goff.

Creative projects like Armchair Quarterback are challenging because they demand smart, funny, and culturally relevant ideas. Omaha’s execution is a testament to its thorough understanding of the sports fan persona, and its unmatched network of athletes and celebrities that make these projects sparkle. 

Organizations

• Omaha Productions

  Bud Light

Links

•   Website

Credits

Omaha Productions
Creative Agency
Sports Media Company

Bud Light
Advertiser
Brand