In the spirit of authenticity, we wanted real veterans to be central an idea that provided hope and financial support to military families. Partnering with Folds of Honor, a foundation that provides scholarships to the families of fallen soldiers, Budweiser created limited-edition cans honoring the military, with one dollar being donated to the non-profit for every case sold.

Of course, the more limited-edition product they sold, the more financial help Budweiser could provide. To drive further engagement, actor and former marine Adam Driver joined the cause and surprised the daughter of a wounded marine by showing up at their home with a scholarship for her, with every heartwarming moment of the event being captured on video for the world to see. The ensuing video was released around the July 4th holiday to drive even more power and relevance to the cause.

We first needed to find the family whose life would be changed by a scholarship. Enter: Haley Williams. A 21-year-old nursing student who, without the help of Folds of Honor, would not be able to finish college. Then we needed to find an influencer with an authentic connection to our recipient. Enter: famous actor Adam Driver. Adam, a former U.S. Marine, shared a similar experience with Haley’s father, a U.S. Army veteran who was injured in training before deploying overseas. Haley had not been awarded the scholarship yet, so we told her that we were making a documentary about Folds of Honor applicants. Cue a surprise delivery to her home featuring Adam Driver. We strategically launched the film on Facebook and YouTube ahead of July 4th, a time when the entire nation is having a conversation about our collective right to dream.

The response was even greater than Budweiser could have imagined, and the video went on to become the most shared post in the brand’s history. The film earned 56 million views and well over a half a million shares. In addition, it made 321 million impressions, earned 461 media placements and received 100% positive sentiment.

The video became the final push in a campaign that led to $1 million in donations to Folds of Honor. In addition to the money they received from Budweiser, our efforts helped the non-profit gain a 20% increase in donations, all of which led to 2,000 new scholarships for military families. Sometimes a beer can make a difference.