Bronze: Connection Strategy
Bronze: Evolution Strategy: Keeping it Fresh

Hockey represents the largest beer-drinking occasion in the country. Budweiser wanted to elevate hockey’s most electrifying moment (the goal) and share the feeling with the entire country.

The brand needed to create something tangible for its target of hockey-loving men age 19 to 34. Research showed that 83% of the target had never experienced hockey games in an arena due to expensive ticket prices. Instead, fans gather with friends at house parties or their favourite bars to watch games.

So, to reach consumers where they were experiencing hockey, Budweiser and Anomaly created a game-synced hockey goal light glass that lit up every time Canada scored in a game.

Starting with a 60-second Super Bowl spot, the brand introduced its 25-foot Goal Light that would tour the country on its way to the Canadian Arctic and light up the nation with each goal.

More than 20,000 fans signed up on Budweiser.ca to have their names engraved on the light alongside Wayne Gretzky, Paul Henderson and Don Cherry.

Three weeks before the hockey season, a TV spot and social campaign launched the goal-synced beer glass, which was packaged in specially marked Budweiser cases and could be synced with the brand’s Red Light app to help fans celebrate Canada’s goals at home. About 500,000 glasses were distributed in total.

Glasses appeared on eBay for upwards of $100 (95% above what it cost to make). The brand grew its market share by 0.28 points versus the previous year and tracked 95 million media impressions, making it the highest earned reach for a Bud hockey campaign.

Credits
Brand | Labatt Brewing Company (Budweiser)
Agency | Anomaly