Anderson and Chuck to Rep Bud Light
August 21, 2008
MMAWeekly breaks the news on a pair of UFC superstars signing on to endorse Bud Light:
Anheuser-Busch is stepping up its involvement in MMA by making UFC middleweight champion Anderson “The Spider” Silva and former UFC light heavyweight titleholder Chuck “The Iceman” Liddell spokesmen for the Bud Light brand.
Silva’s manager, Ed Soares, told MMAWeekly Radio, “We just finalized a deal with Anheuser-Busch. Him (Silva) and Chuck Liddell are going to be spokespeople for Bud Light and Anheuser-Busch here in the U.S.”
The campaign is set to hit 4,000 convenience stores throughout the country immediately as well as include billboards and television commercial appearances.
Chuck being signed is almost a given, as he is the face of the UFC to the mainstream. Anderson is a very interesting selection for the other. While being a heavy hitter inside the cage, Silva has shown little ability to pack a punch outside the Octagon, when it comes to marketing desirability or PPV sales. The UFC is likely using Anderson’s inclusion in the deal as a means of boosting his profile and marketability.
Pairing the two in marketing efforts may be setting them up for individual PPV’s in the fuutre, or quite possibly a showdown between the two. Mike Chiappetta of NBCSports.com put forth the duo as a possible match-up for the New Year’s card recently.
The UFC’s other options may have been limited in who to put opposite Chuck in the sales pitch. BJ Penn has a competing deal with Miller brand Mickey’s, GSP is in contract negotiations and unlikely for a marketing push because of that, and Rampage at this point isn’t a poster boy for anything with his legal troubles. They love the PPV buys that Brock Lesnar brings to the table, but I don’t imagine they want him in any role where he is the face of the company due to his Pro Wrestling past. Forrest Griffin was one other possible option but he doesn’t seem to need the publicity or marketing push like Anderson does.
