Corona Beer Revolutionizes Athlete Sponsorships with Groundbreaking 'Relaxation Clause'

Relaxation is now a key deliverable in Corona’s relationship with athletes including Gabriel Medina, Evie Richards, Tatiana Weston Webb, Marco Grimalt, Tatjana Smith and Mariana Pajón

LONDON--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Corona, the world’s most valuable beer brand, has introduced the ‘Relaxation Clause’, a new global initiative for all sponsorship agreements that ensures athletes dedicate time to relax and unwind as part of their contract with Corona Cero.

Brazilian surfer Gabriel Medina signs the Relaxation Clause (Photo: Business Wire)

The Relaxation Clause offers a new approach to partnerships that reflects the essence of Corona: encouraging people to experience more moments to unwind and connect with nature.

The unique initiative follows Corona Cero’s iconic sponsorship of the Olympic Games – the first-of-its kind for a global beer brand. The brand is incorporating this new term in all athlete agreements including Olympian Brazilian surfer Gabriel Medina, who created the viral photo while competing, as well as medalists British cyclist Evie Richards, Brazilian surfer Tatiana Weston Webb, Chilean volleyball player Marco Grimalt, South African swimmer Tatjana Smith and Colombian BMX cyclist Mariana Pajón.

Designed to promote balance, the Relaxation Clause offers athletes flexibility so that they can integrate periods of relaxation into their lifestyle. The new term is expected to increase contracts by at least a week to incorporate relaxation time. Moving forward, the Relaxation Clause will be a priority for the brand’s talent partnerships.

“As an athlete it’s crucial to listen to your body and understand when it’s time to take a break and recharge your batteries,” said Gabriel Medina. “Corona Cero understands this and is putting the athlete first with the Relaxation Clause.”

“Corona believes in the importance of relaxation and balance, with a long history of inspiring people to relax more often and enjoy nature,” said Clarissa Pantoja, Vice President of Corona Global. “We’re so proud to introduce the Relaxation Clause in our sponsorships as it requires our ambassadors live our beliefs. With these new terms Corona continues to inspire people to disconnect and reconnect with nature, including our athlete partners who will now have down time with friends and family when they need it most.”

Available in over 40 markets, Corona Cero is helping to lead and grow the category by elevating the role of moderation globally. The brand brings the refreshing Corona taste consumers know and love while enhancing its iconic lime ritual no matter the occasion, creating more moments for connection, cheers, and choice.

About Corona Global

Corona, an AB InBev global brand*, is the iconic beer brand that is synonymous with paradise with a presence in 180 countries. Recognized as the world’s most valuable beer brand in Kantar’s BrandZ global 2024 rankings, Corona invites the world outside, beckoning you to reconnect with your essential nature and embrace the simple pleasures of life. But it's not just about the beer – it's about the ritual. The ritual of adding a slice of lime to your Corona, an experience that elevates the moment. Corona isn't just a beverage; it's nature in a bottle. And we strive to help protect nature and have become the first global beverage brand with a net-zero plastic footprint. This builds on our longstanding ambition to help protect the world’s oceans and beaches from plastic pollution. Every sip of Corona is a celebration of nature and the beauty of the world around us.

*Corona is not sold by AB InBev in the United States.

About Anheuser-Busch InBev

AB InBev is a publicly traded company (Euronext: ABI) based in Leuven, Belgium, with secondary listings on the Mexico (MEXBOL: ANB) and South Africa (JSE: ANH) stock exchanges and with American Depositary Receipts on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: BUD). As a company, we dream big to create a future with more cheers. We are always looking to serve up new ways to meet life’s moments, move our industry forward and make a meaningful impact in the world. We are committed to building great brands that stand the test of time and to brewing the best beers using the finest ingredients. Our diverse portfolio of well over 500 beer brands includes global brands Budweiser®, Corona®, Stella Artois® and Michelob Ultra®; multi-country brands Beck’s®, Hoegaarden® and Leffe®; and local champions such as Aguila®, Antarctica®, Bud Light®, Brahma®, Cass®, Castle®, Castle Lite®, Cristal®, Harbin®, Jupiler®, Modelo Especial®, Quilmes®, Victoria®, Sedrin®, and Skol®. Our brewing heritage dates back more than 600 years, spanning continents and generations. From our European roots at the Den Hoorn brewery in Leuven, Belgium. To the pioneering spirit of the Anheuser & Co brewery in St. Louis, US. To the creation of the Castle Brewery in South Africa during the Johannesburg gold rush. To Bohemia, the first brewery in Brazil. Geographically diversified with a balanced exposure to developed and developing markets, we leverage the collective strengths of approximately 155,000 colleagues based in nearly 50 countries worldwide. For 2023, AB InBev’s reported revenue was 59.4 billion USD (excluding JVs and associates).