Anheuser-Busch’s Budweiser brand is "giving digital a prime spot in its sponsorship as the official beer" of the '14 FIFA World Cup with a "string of video and social efforts," according to Lauren Johnson of ADWEEK. Budweiser has "created a microsite for its 'Rise as One' campaign that serves as a hub for all video and social content" surrounding the month-long event. During the tournament, Budweiser will "use Twitter Cards to let fans vote for their favorite players, called the FIFA Man of the Match." The brand will then "award a player after every match and will buy Promoted Tweets to drive traffic to the content." The video campaign "includes two Web series that Budweiser has created with Fox Sports and Vice." The Fox Sports content "spans 80 countries for a global push, and the Vice video includes a six-part documentary series." The second phase of digital activations "will kick off in June with the opening of the Budweiser Hotel within the Pestana Rio Atlântica hotel on Rio de Janeiro’s Copacabana Beach." An Instagram booth and Facebook studio will help Budweiser "churn out social content that is taking place at the sponsored spot" (
ADWEEK.com, 5/21).
HAPPY MEAL: ADWEEK's Johnson noted McDonald's is "revamping its fry packaging on a global scale for the first time as part of a large-scale marketing push" for the World Cup.The boxes have "a big digital component as the brand wants to appeal to more millennials." The new packaging will "wrap medium and large orders of fries in soccer-themed designs while syncing with an iPhone and Android app called Gol, which unlocks exclusive content -- like lining up a shot at the goal against virtual players from the 32 countries that are planned to compete." The brand's Gol iPhone and Android app will be available Monday, and the initiative "will be supported by a media campaign including a microsite, point-of-sale and social media components" (ADWEEK.com, 5/20).
BALL SO HARD: REUTERS' Jörn Poltz reports adidas has "given a more precise sales growth target" for '14, amounting to a rise of up to 8%, as it "gets a lift" from the World Cup. As a World Cup sponsor, adidas "provides the official match ball and is kitting out nine teams of the 32 finalists, including former world champions Spain, Germany and Argentina." Meanwhile, Nike is "supplying teams from 10 countries, including the Brazilian hosts" (REUTERS, 5/22).
