Budweiser Zero, the AB-InBev brand’s first ever no-alcohol beer, launched a new ‘Team Zero’ campaign at the start of 2021 to help consumers through ‘Dry January’.
This combined consumer support and list-building initiative was promoted through a sports star fronted campaign which calls on people to ‘team up to stay sober’.
A tri-country campaign – reaching across Canada, the UK and the USA – is fronted by a strong team of Budweiser athlete ambassadors (including both coaches and sports stars) known as ‘Team Zero’.
The team – which consists of New York Giants wide receiver Darius Slayton, US golf star Kevin Kisner, Liverpool FC skipper Jordan Henderson, Canadian ice hockey international Paul Bissonnette and Candian UFC champion Georges St-Pierre – are rallying together to keep each other and consumers motivated, encouraged and incentivised to stick with their Dry January commitment.
Running from 30 December through the end of January, the campaign and its famous sports faces encourage viewers (over the age of 21) to join them as members of ‘Team Zero’ at JoinTeamZero.com (a regional trio set of websites across the three nations).
Those who become members of ‘Team Zero’ receive motivational emails, as well as discounts and rebates to purchase Budweiser Zero throughout the month.
A further sign-up incentivize is the chance to win pairs of hospitality tickets for an England home game (UK) a virtual meet and greet (Canada) or a pair of MLB World Series tickets (USA) as well as exclusive signed Team Zero gear.
To enter the sweepstakes consumers need to submitting contact details on an online entry form at JoinTeamZero.com and follow @Budweiser on Instagram. Those who then share their #TeamZero status on social media are entered into the sweepstakes.
The initiative is primarily promoted across Budweiser’s social channels with Budweiser Zero teaser videos and imagery with the Team Zero athletes. The posts aims to drive consumers to the JoinTeamZero.com website where they can sign up to be part of the team.
Team Zero athletes are also sharing their involvement across their own social channels.
The brand’s marketers are also running trade programs and sales promotions with key retailers to further build distribution for the brand.
Dry Jan is a layup when you’ve got some friends by your side. And it’s even easier when your teammates are @K_Kisner and @Young_Slay2 supported by co-founder @DwyaneWade. Join #TeamZero by going to https://t.co/Scg7kNNez7 and you could win World Series tickets. pic.twitter.com/uGJsLZbdxo
— Budweiser (@budweiserusa) December 30, 2020
“As we look to the start of a new year when people are setting new goals, many also set the tone for the year to come by participating in Dry January,” said Budweiser VP of Marketing Monica Rustgi. “We wanted to showcase Budweiser Zero as a way people can still pursue this new year goal without giving up the taste of beer and the celebratory occasions that come at the top of the year.”
“We wanted to put a twist on the traditional New Year trend of Dry January,” continued Rustgi. “Every year, thousands of people take this month as an opportunity to reset and establish new goals and ambitions before taking on the new year; However, it’s always easier to accomplish with a group. Budweiser Zero is providing a new option for consumers, promoted by our community of athletes from around the world. Team Zero helps those who still want to enjoy the taste of beer while committing to sobriety in January. We have a long history of partnering with sports teams, leagues, and athletes around the world and further integrating Budweiser Zero into these teams provides their fans with a new alcohol-free option and a new way to think about Dry January.”
Comment:
This is Budweiser’s own branded approach to a well-established New Year tradition: one which provides an opportunity for those who still want to enjoy the taste of beer in January while committing to having no alcohol and which also leverages the brand’s existing stable of sports ambassadors and sponsorships.
January is an annual opportunity for consumers to kick-off new challenges and bring long-held ambitions to life – especially when it comes to health. But even after the seasonal excesses, it is seldom easy to go it alone. Especially in the current circumstances when every little helps.
While the idea has been around for many year, the more official ‘Dry January’ concept began in earnest in the UK in 2014 when an employee at Alcohol Change UK recounted her experience getting better sleep and losing weight while staying sober in January to prepare for a race.
Budweiser Zero as a product was first launched in the USA back in summer 2020 through a partnership with former basketball star Dwyane Wade and was positioned as a beer option without the impact of alcohol suitable for athletes in training or playing in a season.
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