How Brand Genetics helped bring alcohol-free beer to the Olympics
AB-InBev used the 2024 Olympics to launch Corona Cero, their non-alcoholic beer for celebration and connection, capturing a rare global brand spotlight — a campaign that went on to win this year's Esomar Global Qualitative Excellence Award
Award-Winning Case Study: How Brand Genetics Brought Alcohol-Free Beer to the Olympics
When AB-InBev had the opportunity to become the first-ever global beer sponsor of the 2024 Olympics, they seized the chance to launch Corona Cero as the non-alcoholic beer of choice for celebration and connection. This was a rare, high-profile moment to elevate the brand on a global stage.
But the stakes were high: the campaign needed to stand out from the noise of the Games, resonate emotionally across cultures, and stay true to Corona’s relaxed DNA – while aligning with the high energy and excitement of the Olympics.
The challenge was amplified by time pressure. There were just three weeks to conduct research, develop insights, and secure creative sign-off. Insights needed to move beyond surface-level sentiment to uncover deep, implicit emotions in two critical markets (the US and Brazil), guiding decisions that would deliver real business impact, not just feel-good messaging.
How we got there
Corona Cero turned to brand insight specialists Brand Genetics for help. The team quickly concluded that traditional qualitative research, while valuable, would fail to meet the combined demands of speed, depth, and cultural nuance. To bridge this gap, a radically different approach was required.
Brand Genetics rose to the challenge by blending AI-powered linguistic analysis with human-centred qualitative exploration. By using Lexi, Brand Genetics’ proprietary AI motivational analyst, insights that would normally take weeks were surfaced in hours, without sacrificing depth. Combining decades of psychological theory with cutting-edge technology, Lexi decodes language patterns to reveal both conscious and subconscious motivations driving consumer behaviour.
But AI wasn’t the whole solution – human expertise guided the process. The team combined four critical steps:
Motivational Analysis – using specialised pre-tasks to generate authentic language about Olympic experiences.
Campaign Analysis – mapping these motivations against core human drivers.
Campaign Exploration – testing creative routes directly with target audiences.
Dual-Processing Analysis – validating the strongest motivational match.
The breakthrough insight
In just three weeks, the team had a breakthrough: uncovering a universal moment of joy shared across cultures – the Golden Moment. It’s the feeling of release and pride after working hard for an achievement.
This became the perfect bridge between Corona Cero’s promise of relaxed enjoyment and the intensity and emotion of the Olympics. It framed the brand as the drink to own the moment and savour the win – a positioning no other sponsor had claimed.
The business results speak for themselves:
Corona Cero achieved 440% volume growth in a growing category, demonstrating unprecedented momentum in the no-alcohol category.
The campaign outperformed established Olympic sponsors, including Coca-Cola and Samsung, in key engagement metrics.
Zappi AdTesting revealed the ad scored in the top 1% of all UK ads for short-term sales potential and in the top 10% for long-term brand equity.
The campaign delivered very high overall emotion (61% vs UK norm of 42%), strong ad distinctiveness (4.0 vs norm of 3.6) and viral potential (60 vs norm of 47).
Kantar’s BrandZ 2024 rankings recognised Corona as the most valuable beer brand in the world – reinforcing the broader brand halo.
In the words of Sebastian Schuliaquer, Global Director, Premiumization Insights and Foresight, AB-InBev, “The insights from Brand Genetics didn’t just inform our campaign – they fundamentally shifted how we understand the relationship between our brand and the Olympic experience. The speed and depth of understanding enabled us to make critical decisions with confidence, resulting in one of our most successful sponsorship activations ever.”
Strategic Impact: Beyond the Paris Olympics
The “For Every Golden Moment” campaign marked a milestone in Corona Cero’s global brand identity, anchoring it firmly around moments of joy and celebration.
The success also shaped the long-term strategy. In February 2025, AB InBev announced the extension of its Worldwide Olympic Partnership with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) through to 2032 – a powerful signal of confidence in the strategic and creative direction.
According to AB-InBev CEO Michel Doukeris, “AB-InBev is proud to be the first global beer sponsor for the Olympic Games. Beer and sports are better together, and with no- alcohol Corona Cero leading the way, we offered Olympic fans more choices as they cheered on their favourite athletes and teams going for gold.”
