Michelob ULTRA believes that off-court joy brings on-court success. Yes, success takes hard work too, but what separates the greatest athletes is that they enjoy what they do. Summed up by the brand’s motto: It’s only worth it if you enjoy it.

Nobody embodies this better than longtime Michelob ULTRA partner, Serena Williams.

Her retirement was an excellent opportunity to honor Serena in a unique way to continue the brand's cultural momentum.

The brand’s distinct positioning has helped it grow from 5th to 2nd in the U.S. beer market. And continued cultural relevance drives sales.

Our budget was $300K. This budget had to cover the production of the packs and all the promotion of the packs. This was a challenge, as we had to cut through at a time when other brands were also looking to recognize Serena’s retirement.

For many years, Michelob ULTRA has counterbalanced the pursuit of perfection in sports, reminding people that “It’s only worth it if you enjoy it.”

On the eve of the US Open, when Serena announced her retirement, Michelob ULTRA released a 24-pack to celebrate every Grand Slam that Serena won over the course of her career. The special pack consisted of 24 limited-edition cans, each depicting a moment of joy from her 23 wins, and one can representing the joy she’ll now enjoy off court.

The cans were made within ABI and announced via a single social post on Michelob ULTRA’s handles. The 24-pack was also distributed to members of the press and influencers.

Our creative solution paid tribute to Serena’s career. 23 of the cans showcased moments of joy from her 23 Grand Slam wins, with the 24th can showing her post-tennis-career joy.

We released limited-edition cans the day Serena officially retired. The cans were made within ABI and announced via social media on Michelob ULTRA’s handles. The 24-pack was also distributed to members of the press and influencers.

A major challenge was creating a unique unboxing experience that could carry the weight of the contents. The materials were carefully chosen to ensure durability.

Most of the materials used were paper-based except for the matte lamination.

Base Kit Setup Out box Lid and Inner Tray

- .079 Chipboard

- Lexjet Tough-coat Matte PSA Laminate over Chipboard

Inside Tray

- Open-Cell Foam Padding

- Red Ribbon Material

French Doors

- White Carolina SBS

- PSL Sticker

Labels

- Silver Metalized BOPP with Matte Laminate

The reaction was beyond what we could have ever expected.

In the end, the Serena pack was an earned media success and one of ULTRA’s most-shared social posts of 2022. Since the pack was not for sale, there is no sales data to report. Top results include:​

Media coverage:

· Pop culture took notice of our extra-joyous ULTRA can and, in just one weekend, we earned 427 million impressions and 188 press stories from publications such as CNN, USA Today, People Magazine, Hypebeast, and Thrillist, And global news outlets such as The Sun (UK) and India Times (India)

· 22K social mentions in 24 hours upon the pack’s launch​

· 52.3 M earned impressions

Brand health:

- Significant increases in both brand affinity (+108%) and purchase intent (+31%) in 2022​

Business results:

- Consistent volume growth in every region during the time this campaign was in-market

Serena Williams is arguably the greatest tennis player of all time. Serena is an ambassador for Michelob ULTRA and after she announced her retirement in 2022, ULTRA jumped into action. The pack highlighted the 23 majors in her career and a 24th to the joy she's had off the court. We intentionally selected photography that showed both joy and intensity to display balance.