Quintessentially American beer brand Budweiser has enlisted an Edmonton hockey legend to reaffirm its long-standing presence in the Canadian market.

Budweiser Canada marketing director Pat Heembrock tells strategy that having Mark Messier – an Edmonton native who helped bring five Stanley Cups to the city from 1984 to 1990 – at the centre of its new campaign helped ease concerns around the brand’s foray into Canadiana amid cross-border trade tensions with the U.S.

A 50-second video by creative agency Anomaly portrays the production process for a special-edition Messier can. Budweiser hung City of Champions signage, no longer a welcome-sign icon at Edmonton’s boundaries, inside a brewing facility to inspire the production on the LTO cans and to signal 45 years of brewing history in the city.

“The City of Champions identity still carries weight for a lot of Edmontonians,” Heembrock says. “This was about reflecting that pride in a way that felt relevant and respectful. Mark Messier’s involvement added authenticity. His role in the city’s history gave the message depth and helped bring the story to life in a way that resonated.”

Crafted at Labatt’s Edmonton facilities, last week’s launch is Budweiser’s latest hockey-packaging project. Earlier this month, the brand celebrated the short list of goalies who have never allowed a goal by all-time NHL goalscoring leader Alex Ovechkin with a “King of Zero” can.

“While the focus is different, both campaigns reflect Budweiser’s continued commitment to honouring the culture and stories that surround the communities we serve and the game our consumers know and love,” Heembrock says.

The Edmonton campaign includes work from Veritas on PR, DraftLine on social media and Starcom on media buying.

The marketing spend was tailored to “feel big while staying focused,” Heembrock says, in hopes that the emotional appeal would spur earned-media and social engagement.

“Our goal was to create cultural relevance through a tight, high-impact rollout. It’s comparable in ambition to other major Budweiser hockey initiatives, but with a sharper lens on localized storytelling and community connection.”