Two days before the World Cup, Budweiser was banned from selling beer at stadiums in Qatar.
We were left with thousands of liters of beer without a home. The news took the world by storm. And it seemed as though our multi-million dollar presence was a bust. So on the first day of the tournament, we decided to give a bold answer: we announced that we'd give away our entire Qatar warehouse stock to the winning country for free. And we invited the entire world to #BringHomeTheBud.
Within minutes, the world took notice. Our call took over the stadiums and the streets. Budweiser became the most talked about topic before kickoff, and it only continued as fans were heard roaring chants in the stadium during the opening match: “Queremos Cerveza! (We Want Beer!)”. We took over field boards, we spread the movement across the world through a global blitz, dropping giant red crates of Budweiser around the world. An unprecedented OOH, that would only be opened by the winning country.
And with the help of athletes, key influencers and thirsty fans, our hashtag #BringHomeTheBud has evolved into a global rallying cry for countries to root for their team to not only win the trophy, but to bring home all that extra beer.
As the World Cup continues, results keep rolling in:
4MM+ Social Mentions
3.1B Social Reach
1 World Cup Brand
With the competition at an all time high, we turned what could be the biggest sponsorship failure in history into an opportunity that brought Budweiser to a new level worldwide. An opportunity that gave a new purpose for fans to root during the World Cup all around the globe and that gave Budweiser an unprecedented place in consumers’ hearts.
