Once again, Anheuser-Busch is a major sponsor of the World Cup, this time in Russia. And already, we see Budweiser ramping up Its World Cup 2018 marketing efforts. The firm’s total costs of marketing/advertising will run into the hundreds of millions of dollars.
During the last World Cup in 2014, we asked Are Sports Sponsorships Worth the Investment? For the 2018 World Cup, there will be a big challenge for U.S. brands. Unlike in 2014, the U.S. did not qualify as one of the 32 competing countries. What will this do to the interest level and viewership in the U.S.?
Budweiser Ramping Up Its World Cup 2018 Marketing Efforts
The 2018 World Cup begins on June 14 and runs through July 15. As a World Cup Sponsor, Budweiser plans a big marketing effort.
According to it its World Cup Web site, Budweiser will “Light Up the FIFA World Cup” TM
As E.J. Schultz reports for Advertising Age:
“Budweiser’s main TV ad won’t show in the states. However, the spot features its St. Louis birthplace as the starting point for a fictional drone journey across the globe to Russia. In the extended cut, a wayward drone dubbed Bud 1876 finds its way to a beerless fan at Moscow’s Luzhniki Stadium.”
“The World Cup campaign, called ‘Light Up the FIFA World Cup,’ includes the real-life deployment of noise-activated Budweiser Red Light Cups, which light up in response to crowd noise. All beer sold in World Cup stadiums will come in the cups. Budweiser also plans to deploy them at viewing parties across the globe. The brewer anticipates that eight million of the techy cups will be distributed globally, including unique versions for every match.”
“The brewer has previously used high-tech cups for sporting events. For instance, at the New England Patriots season opener last year, it sold Bud Light branded cups that lit up blue after every Patriots scoring play. Budweiser says its Red Light Cup is the first-ever noise-activated cup. The base of the cups includes a microphone that detects changes in decibels, activating LED lighting.”
And take a look at the ad as it appears on YouTube.