Budweiser Global Football: Messi 644
For Budweiser’s year two football campaign, we suggested a different kind of idea for Budweiser. One that was based on a moment we were sure would happen sometime in 2020, inspire global conversation, and put Budweiser (the brand and product) at the center of a global celebratory moment. The moment: Lionel Messi making his 644th goal for Barcelona and breaking the 45-year record held by Pele, the “King of Football,” for most goals with a single club. Given this record is one of the few Messi doesn’t already hold, is held by a fellow GOAT contender, and involves many legendary goalkeepers - we knew this would be a huge global moment we could make even bigger. The campaign started with a limited edition “Messi” bottle available on shelf globally, continued with a global countdown of goals, the “Creed” film released upon the record-breaking goal, and 644 numbered bottles made and delivered (with a note from Messi) to the goalkeepers who ceded each of Messi’s goals. There were many bumps along the way (Covid, Messi potentially leaving Barca) that threatened the campaign, but it finally happened and the results were huge.
Campaign Case Study
RESULTS
A truly global campaign activated in 20+ markets l 3+ Billion Earned Impressions l 1200+ Earned Articles in over 84 Countries l $20M+ of Social Media Value l More than +3% increase in followers of Budweiser’s social channels
AWARDS
1 Silver Cannes Lion, 4 Shortlists l One Show Bronze Pencil
Shorty Merit x2
644 UNIQUE BOTTLES
REPRESENTING EACH BARCA GOAL, MAILED TO THE 159 GOALKEEPERS WHO CEDED THEM
“Creed” Created by The Mill
A Crazy beginning for Budweiser + Messi
Nine months into working on the “644” campaign, Budweiser’s first campaign with Lionel Messi (ironically about loyalty), Messi announced on August 26th he wanted to leave his team of 20 years. Awesome. Trying to ignore our grief about the soon to be dead 644 campaign, we immediately starting writing scripts to release when he (hopefully) announced he’d be joining Man City. Nine days later he instead (begrudgingly) announced he was staying in Barcelona. So we re-wrote again, and within 48 hours released the below film globally.
