Direct > Excellence in Direct
WEBER SHANDWICK, New York / A-B INBEV / 2022
Overview
Credits
Why is this work relevant for Direct?
A formal but hilarious proposal, 'Summer Stimmy' was designed to deliver the best summer ever. 110 pages of faux legislation of prizes and experiences worth $10 million that brought FUN to the people.
Background
As the country prepared to reopen after months of COVID-19 shutdowns and as a stimulus package was being introduced by the government to provide relief for the American people, Bud Light set out to address something still missing for Americans 21+ - THE FUN.
Bud Light decided to do something no beer brand had ever done before: write its own formal stimulus bill. A proposal to support all citizens in their pursuit of life, liberty, and FUN during Summer 2021, rewarding fans with their first round back at bars, live music experiences AND the biggest sports ticket giveaway in the brand’s history.
A formal but hilarious proposal, 'Summer Stimmy' was designed to deliver the best summer ever. 110 pages of faux legislation of prizes and experiences worth $10 million that brought FUN to the people.
Describe the creative idea
To help bring back the fun and support the best summer ever, Bud Light introduced the ‘Bud Light Summer Stimmy’ – a formal, but hilarious proposal designed to hook fans 21+ up with their first beer back at the bar, sports tickets, live music, and more, in advance of the summer season. The Stimmy was 110 pages of legislative proposals on everything from conga lines and hammock safety to mandals and dogs in sunglasses. Essentially, 110 pages of FUN.
To launch the ‘Bud Light Summer Stimmy’, the brand partnered with Sam Richardson, who starred in the popular, political satire TV show VEEP, to serve as the campaign’s ‘Appointed Bud Light Summer Stimmy Reader,’ and star in our commercial ads. Fans could access and endorse the full Stimmy via the brand’s website at Budlight.com/SummerStimmy. Then NFL star Rob Gronkowski came in to approved the Stimmy for the best summer ever.
Describe the strategy
The Summer Stimmy was developed to get Americans 21+ back together to enjoy their passions of music and sports (and beer!) after a year of nothing but virtual streams and cardboard fans. The concept tapped into consumers’ deep desire to get back out there after a difficult year, and leveraged the cultural topic of Stimulus relief with the brand’s signature jester spin to effectively resonate with our audience.
To launch the Summer Stimmy, the brand partnered with VEEP's Sam Richardson to serve as the ‘Appointed Bud Light Summer Stimmy Reader,’ to encourage fans to endorse the Stimmy via the brand’s website. After receiving 50,000+ fan endorsements, NFL superstar Rob Gronkowski was brought in as the official ‘Bud Light Secretary of Summer’ to approve via Instagram, kicking off the best summer ever. The Summer Stimmy was formally introduced on April 27, 2021, with fun and prizes, lasting throughout the summer.
Describe the execution
The Summer Stimmy, a formal but hilarious written proposal designed to bring fans the best summer ever. Written in a way that captured both the spirit of the brand and the spirit of the moment. 110 pages of legislative proposals on everything from conga lines and hammock safety to mandals, along with $10 million worth of prizes and experiences, including the largest sports ticket giveaway in history executed in partnership with 6 professional leagues and 70 teams.
Mimicking CSPAN, the proposal was announced and read in a bar by comedian Sam Richardson, and after receiving 50,000+ fan endorsements, approved by Rob Gronkowski, the ‘Secretary of Summer.’ The summer-long campaign featured a variety of integrated media tactics: NFL Draft in-broadcast integration; USA Today ads; OOH featuring enormous oversized checks; high-impact units on YouTube, Reddit, and NHL.com; large-scale social media and influencer programs; and even an integration with Jimmy Kimmel.
List the results
Before we knew it, conversation had shifted from the government stimulus package to the Bud Light Summer Stimmy. It garnered 875 million earned impressions via 300+ placements and brought in 70,000 new Bud Light loyalty members. The campaign also generated 440,000 social mentions, reaching #4 within Twitter's top ten and ultimately trending 7 times! Most importantly, Bud Light was the first brand to help America get out there and have FUN.
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