Cass becomes Olympics' first Korean beer sponsor with Paris Games

Oriental Brewery's (OB) Cass beer has become the first Korean alcohol brand to partner with the Olympics as a sponsor of the upcoming 2024 Paris Games set to begin next month.

Oriental Brewery (OB) CEO Ben Verhaert, center in second row, poses for a photo at the brewer's media event announcing its official partnership with the Olympics on Wednesday at a hotel in eastern Seoul. Pictured from left in second row are Olympics medalists Yoo Nam-kyu, Kim Soo-nyung, CEO Verhaert, medalists Ha Tae-kwon and Cho Jun-ho. From center in the first row are medalist Kwak Yoon-gy and Seo Hye-yeon, senior vice-president of OB's marketing division. [YONHAP]

Oriental Brewery's (OB) Cass beer has become the first Korean alcohol brand to partner with the Olympics as a sponsor of the upcoming 2024 Paris Games set to begin next month.

The Seoul-based brand became an official partner of the Olympics after its parent company, Anheuser-Busch InBev, signed a deal to be the sporting festival's official global sponsor through 2028. “Cheering on your favorite team with a cold beer is a universal experience,” Oriental Brewery CEO Ben Verhaert said at a media event on Wednesday, 30 days before the start of the Paris Olympics on July 26.

“Cass embodies the three core Olympic values: striving for excellence, demonstrating respect and celebrating friendship. This partnership reflects the shared mission and values of the [International Olympic Committee] and AB InBev: bringing people together and creating a future with more cheers, or ‘chan,’ as we say in Korea.”

Cass’s Olympics marketing campaign includes newly designed packaging for its Cass Fresh and Cass Zero products with the Olympics logo, television and online commercials highlighting athletes, limited-edition merchandise and digital campaigns with social media influencers.

K-pop band BSS's 2023 song “Fighting (feat. Lee Young-ji) will be used as part of Oriental Brewery's Olympics marketing campaign. [ORIENTAL BREWERY]

Cass will also launch an AI-powered feature that allows users to make a customized video of members of K-pop band BSS — a subunit of boy band Seventeen — singing “Fighting (feat. Lee Young-ji)” (2023). Offline events include a Cass pocha (food tent) serving the brand’s beers near the Eiffel Tower in Paris, as well as sports pop-ups in Seoul.

Oriental Brewery emphasized that the brand also aims to tap into a broader consumer base with its non-alcoholic beer, Cass Zero.

“The Olympics is a festival that is enjoyed both day and night as viewers watch games through replays. Through Cass Zero, we aim to provide diverse options to consumers who will be enjoying the Olympics during the day,” said OB Marketing Senior Vice President Seo Hye-yeon.

While the Cass logo will be attached to a sporting event on the global stage, the brand seeks to stabilize its standing back home.

Seo pointed to Cass’s “crisp lager” profile tailored to the Korean consumer’s preference as well as the brand’s commitment to creating a broad product portfolio that follows current domestic trends, such as renewing its lower-calorie Cass Light product and launching its Cass Lemon Squeeze beer.

Oriental Brewery's Cass beer products on display at the brewer's media event on Wednesday [KIM JU-YEON]

Oriental Brewery is Korea’s largest beer retailer in terms of market share, with 46.7 percent in 2023, according to the Korea Agro-Fisheries & Food Trade Corporation. But as its market share dropped 1.4 percentage points on year, rivals Hitejinro and Lotte Asahi Liquor increased their shares by 1 percentage points and 4 percentage points, respectively, on the back of their new and popular beer products — Hitejinro with Kelly and Lotte with Japanese brand Asahi.

OB recorded 1.55 trillion won in sales last year, down 1 percent from 2022, and 234.8 billion won in operating profits, down 35 percent on year.

BY KIM JU-YEON [kim.juyeon2@joongang.co.kr]