When the apocalypse arrives, are we all drinking Corona?
Constellation Brands has partnered with HBO’s series The Last of Us to boost the Corona beer brand. db asks why it's a good fit for an apocalypse. The post When the apocalypse arrives, are we all drinking Corona? appeared first on The Drinks Business.
Constellation Brands has partnered with HBO’s series The Last of Us to boost the Corona beer brand. db asks why it's a good fit for an apocalypse.
Corona, overseen in the US by Constellation Brands and AB InBev internationally, is being positioned as a beer that can help people to achieve a beach mindset even in the worst of times. But how?Taking a deeper look into the brand's latest activation for Corona which ties it up in a collaboration with HBO’s The Last of Us reinforces this sentiment. In fact, it offers one key message, according to the brand owners: “Live life more presently no matter where you are”. Indeed, find your zen, even if that’s in a world ravaged by a parasitic fungal infection or overtaken by a zombie apocalypse.
The partnership, which coincides with Corona celebrating its 100th anniversary this year and the brand’s newest campaign La Playa Awaits, suggests drinkers should be "present in the moment". Its over-arching messages are, from many perspectives, right on cue with being the battle cry of the post-pandemic world. But, according to the company, beers like Corona are ready to tap into understanding more about what people want and need from life without all of the concerns of the day.
Speaking to the drinks business, Rob Nelson, vice president of brand marketing for Corona, explained: “The Corona beach mindset that is highlighted and celebrated throughout the La Playa Awaits invites people to make the most of the present moment, whether that is after work, at the local bar or on the rooftop.”
Nelson went further to identify how "at its core, that Corona beach mindset is the pursuit of contentment and connection in all of life’s moments, it’s that feeling you get when you’re looking out on the ocean with a cold Corona in hand next to someone you genuinely like being with”.
According to Nelson, this is why we should all be reaching for the Coronas. Could other beers hit the mark? Perhaps not. Corona, he highlighted, is intertwined with a relaxation and general vibe that being at the coast offers. He insisted: “in our increasingly busy world, Corona is leaning into that feeling of connection you get at the beach” in a bid to “remind all of us that the beach mindset is accessible at any moment”.
Nelson admitted that he couldn’t reveal the actual spend on Corona, but did divulge that the media partnership was a category exclusive and that its primary objective is to anchor the Corona brand into “culturally relevant moments”. He did state however that the support “includes a robust media support plan across Warner Bros” as well as “Discovery streaming properties, Max takeovers, and our own custom content series”.
The activation has included Corona being present at The Last of Us season two LA premiere event with Corona Extra and non-alcoholic options also being available for guests. Plus, sponsorship of an influencer pre-screening of episode one held at Domino Sugar Factory in Brooklyn. Added to this, AB InBev’s Corona brand will also receive title sponsorship and supporting media for seasons one and two of The Last of Us on Max as well as co-branded bumpers, custom content, social posts and a one-day Max takeover.
In addition, there will also be two unique pieces of custom content featuring Gabriel Luna, who stars in the series as the character Tommy and “see Luna making the most of post-apocalyptic circumstances after the discovery of an ice-cold Corona”.
As part of the activity, in select retail environments, fans of Corona and show will have the chance to enter to win merchandise as well as the opportunity to win a special The Last of Us edition Taylor Guitar 314c replica as shown on the series. Interested fans can enter the sweepstakes here.
Describing more about the tie-up, the team behind the collaboration also revealed the importance of reaching fans of the show’s demographic via social platforms. Nelson told db that “beyond streaming, we’re engaging with fans of the show on HBO Max social media channels, and expanding our reach onto YouTube to reach audiences engaged with The Last of Us”.
The Corona brand leaders are no stranger to appealing to a broad mix of demographics. Earlier this year, the brand was boosted by the fact that it officially opened the eco-protected luxury destination “Corona Island” in an effort to attract "eco-conscious travellers from around the world”.
However, Constellation has faced its fair share of challenges of late. For instance, for its fiscal year 2026, which has just begun, the business cut its estimate of adjusted earnings per share to between US$12.60 and US$12.90, below the consensus of analysts’ forecasts. It has also slashed its enterprise net sales projection to between a decline of 2% and a 1% rise. Previously, it had expected an increase of between 2% and 4%.
The latest activation for Corona and its marketing team's push with The Last of Us does also beg another question: "It's the worst of times, what is everyone drinking to get through it?"
Corona, overseen in the US by Constellation Brands and AB InBev internationally, is being positioned as a beer that can help people to achieve a beach mindset even in the worst of times. But how?Taking a deeper look into the brand's latest activation for Corona which ties it up in a collaboration with HBO’s The Last of Us reinforces this sentiment. In fact, it offers one key message, according to the brand owners: “Live life more presently no matter where you are”. Indeed, find your zen, even if that’s in a world ravaged by a parasitic fungal infection or overtaken by a zombie apocalypse.
The partnership, which coincides with Corona celebrating its 100th anniversary this year and the brand’s newest campaign La Playa Awaits, suggests drinkers should be "present in the moment". Its over-arching messages are, from many perspectives, right on cue with being the battle cry of the post-pandemic world. But, according to the company, beers like Corona are ready to tap into understanding more about what people want and need from life without all of the concerns of the day.
Speaking to the drinks business, Rob Nelson, vice president of brand marketing for Corona, explained: “The Corona beach mindset that is highlighted and celebrated throughout the La Playa Awaits invites people to make the most of the present moment, whether that is after work, at the local bar or on the rooftop.”
Nelson went further to identify how "at its core, that Corona beach mindset is the pursuit of contentment and connection in all of life’s moments, it’s that feeling you get when you’re looking out on the ocean with a cold Corona in hand next to someone you genuinely like being with”.
According to Nelson, this is why we should all be reaching for the Coronas. Could other beers hit the mark? Perhaps not. Corona, he highlighted, is intertwined with a relaxation and general vibe that being at the coast offers. He insisted: “in our increasingly busy world, Corona is leaning into that feeling of connection you get at the beach” in a bid to “remind all of us that the beach mindset is accessible at any moment”.
Nelson admitted that he couldn’t reveal the actual spend on Corona, but did divulge that the media partnership was a category exclusive and that its primary objective is to anchor the Corona brand into “culturally relevant moments”. He did state however that the support “includes a robust media support plan across Warner Bros” as well as “Discovery streaming properties, Max takeovers, and our own custom content series”.
The activation has included Corona being present at The Last of Us season two LA premiere event with Corona Extra and non-alcoholic options also being available for guests. Plus, sponsorship of an influencer pre-screening of episode one held at Domino Sugar Factory in Brooklyn. Added to this, AB InBev’s Corona brand will also receive title sponsorship and supporting media for seasons one and two of The Last of Us on Max as well as co-branded bumpers, custom content, social posts and a one-day Max takeover.
In addition, there will also be two unique pieces of custom content featuring Gabriel Luna, who stars in the series as the character Tommy and “see Luna making the most of post-apocalyptic circumstances after the discovery of an ice-cold Corona”.
As part of the activity, in select retail environments, fans of Corona and show will have the chance to enter to win merchandise as well as the opportunity to win a special The Last of Us edition Taylor Guitar 314c replica as shown on the series. Interested fans can enter the sweepstakes here.
Describing more about the tie-up, the team behind the collaboration also revealed the importance of reaching fans of the show’s demographic via social platforms. Nelson told db that “beyond streaming, we’re engaging with fans of the show on HBO Max social media channels, and expanding our reach onto YouTube to reach audiences engaged with The Last of Us”.
The Corona brand leaders are no stranger to appealing to a broad mix of demographics. Earlier this year, the brand was boosted by the fact that it officially opened the eco-protected luxury destination “Corona Island” in an effort to attract "eco-conscious travellers from around the world”.
However, Constellation has faced its fair share of challenges of late. For instance, for its fiscal year 2026, which has just begun, the business cut its estimate of adjusted earnings per share to between US$12.60 and US$12.90, below the consensus of analysts’ forecasts. It has also slashed its enterprise net sales projection to between a decline of 2% and a 1% rise. Previously, it had expected an increase of between 2% and 4%.
The latest activation for Corona and its marketing team's push with The Last of Us does also beg another question: "It's the worst of times, what is everyone drinking to get through it?" 
