The A-B Brewery staged an event with fans and Blues players to celebrate after the team won the CupWEBER SHANDWICK
Bud Light is celebrating the Blues' Stanley Cup victory with a special "Gloria Brew," and Bud Light VP/Marketing Andy Goeler said it is something the brand can use to "connect with the people of St. Louis." The special limited-edition batch of beer is infused with the sounds of the Blues' unofficial victory anthem, "Gloria." The beer will contain the same ingredients, but the Anheuser-Busch Brewery in downtown St. Louis will play "Gloria" by Laura Branigan on repeat, 24/7 throughout the entire 28-day brewing cycle. Headphones were placed on the brewery tank so that the song can be absorbed as much as possible. Bud Light during the brewing process has also set up a "Gloria" livestream on Twitch. Additionally, the A-B InBev Brewery staged an event with fans after the Blues won the Cup where they brought the entire team to celebrate and autograph the "Gloria" brewery tank. The special brew will be poured into limited-edition championship packs that will be released in St. Louis later this year. Goeler said that Bud Light has received such an overwhelming response from consumers after they announced the "Gloria Brew" that they could continue the promotion beyond the single batch planned. “If the response is like we expect it to be, there's no reason why we couldn't do another batch or at least kick next season off with another release," Goeler said.
GETTING INVOLVED: As the Blues progressed through the playoffs to reach the Stanley Cup Final, Bud Light wanted to help drum up support in St. Louis and started to do some activation in the market. Prior to Blues-Bruins Game 3, the A-B brewery draped itself in blue banners that read “Gloria” and placed a series of 17 billboards across the city. Bud Light and the Blues also teamed up following Game 3 to collect ice from Enterprise Center to bring to select bars in St. Louis so fans could enjoy a beer chilled on actual home ice. Additionally, the brand’s Bud Knight character spearheaded a free ticket sweepstakes, encouraging fans to change their Twitter display name to “Gloria” for a chance to win two tickets to Game 4. “We were glad that we were able as a sponsor to do some of these fun things and help everybody celebrate and just be part of the connection to our hometown,” Goeler said.
