#DRINKWISER CAMPAIGN
Halloween offers the perfect platform to create a spooktacular brand experience. It’s time to capitalize on the season to think outside the box and push the boundaries of creativity for a fang-tastic campaign. The beverage and food industry are well known to take the lead on all of the Halloween brands.
Last year, however, Budweiser used a more serious approach to Halloween to encourage the party to overdo it on the booze. The brand went with an intriguing campaign called “drink wiser.” Along with the tagline, “Don’t Let Halloween Haunt You Forever.”
Halloween is best spent at bars, not behind them. This Halloween, follow @BudweiserUSA and turn on tweet notifications for reminders to hydrate between Buds. #DrinkWiser pic.twitter.com/89iaJyYgfz
— Budweiser (@budweiserusa) October 31, 2019
The ad campaign featured people that were actually arrested on or around Halloween, according to Budweiser. These offenders’ photos were taken with a twist. Each image had each of the offenders in Halloween costumes. For example, “Ameneh K” – her full last name is not given- was arrested on Oct. 31, 2015. In her recreated mug, she appears in a clown costume with a gloomy expression. Using these real people gave a creative edge of dark humor.
The beer brand also included a social media strategy encouraging Halloween partiers to follow @budweiserUSA on twitter and receive reminders to stay hydrated between beers throughout the night. Budweiser also gave out a $5 Lyft gift card to people that bought Budweiser between Oct. 21 and Nov. 1.
According to a Budweiser spokesman, this campaign also used Geo-targeting digital and out-of-home ads in cities with the highest rates of drinking-related arrests on Halloween.
“Halloween is a chance to escape reality by dressing up in costume for the night. However, the untold story is that this escapism can go too far when people forget to drink responsibly. That’s why we worked with real people who were arrested on Halloween to remind others to drink and act responsibly this holiday.” Budweiser Vice President of Marketing, Monica Rustgi.
This campaign was an overall success, proving that Halloween is the perfect holiday to create campaigns giving people pumpkin to talk about and be eerily impactful.
Posted: Oct 26, 2020