Carling Black Label is South Africa’s biggest beer brand. For a decade, we’ve united soccer fans by hosting the most anticipated match of any season: the Carling Cup. A legendary derby between SA’s biggest rivals: Orlando Pirates and Kaiser Chiefs. The competition has always given fans the power to be the coach by allowing them to make key match decisions. All they had to do was buy a Carling, and vote for their team Captain, starting 11 and more. A winning formula our fans loved.

Previously, fans voted based on biases and instinct, but real coaches have cold hard data at their disposal. An added dampener on the beautiful game, was South Africa’s unique COVID lockdown restrictions. No public gatherings. No alcohol. Suddenly, stadiums were empty and sports fans entertained themselves online instead.

We had to get them back, somehow. It was time to transform the Carling Cup.

Football coaches make informed decisions in real time because they have player statistics, and other crucial data, at their fingertips. This time, we’d give our fans all the data, advice and live context they would need to truly make the game their own. All consumers had to do was buy a Carling Black Label and use the unique code on pack to enter via USSD. Fans were pushed through to a website - a Coach’s dashboard if you will, that for a simple data exchange (Name and Number) housed all player and team data in one place. From there, our clever data retargeting did the rest. Not only were our fans empowered with data like never before, Carling Black Label too obtained the second highest number of Golden records in an ABI campaign globally.

Our ability to remain relevant and interesting rested on giving the fan new perspectives, unique data + perspectives on players to drive conversations in their in-group and on giving non fans more entertainment and novelty. Through buying a Carling Black Label and using the unique code on pack, our champion coaches suddenly had access to a world of rich data and player insights which helped them with their player and game selections. By increasing the entertainment and novelty of match day and targeting broader interest groups with relevant content before match day, we were able to pull in bigger audiences. We gave 4.7 million people a match day experience unlike any other local sporting event, allowing them to be the coach of their favourite team on a whole new level.

From training sessions, to data and behind-the-scenes info, to half time team pep talks and press conferences. Through a dedicated website fans got real-time data to inform their decisions. (starting line-up, formation, captain, penalty taker etc.), And when the pressure got too much we gave them someone to lean on. An always on assistant via Facebook messenger ChatBot. They even had a surprise call along the way from one very talented Global Ambassador – Samuel Eto’o. All they had to do was buy beer. The nail-biting experience culminated in game day, where hundreds of thousands of coaches experienced it all from 360 coach cams. And they were glued … to the edge of their coach’s seat.

With the power of data and POV video we made 4.7 million South Africans be the coach of their favourite team in a way they have never experienced before, giving them the power to make decisions about the match with every beer they bought.

4 731 813 people tuned in to watch the game live on tv + social

3 210 110 USSD votes with a massive 112 495 on match day alone

2 248 852 HL of beer sold from a target of 1,980,000 HL

242 277 Golden records of data acquisition acquired (Second highest of all ABI campaigns globally)

MROI: 1.43 (in Aug 2021) a +0.37 increase vs same period 2020

Total Paid Impressions: 76,254,746 vs Target of 40,833,333