The Campaign

We created a music video that celebrates the individuality and self-expression of Halloween while seeding the rituals of drinking “Bloodweiser” and wearing the Budweiser Clydesdale mask during pub crawls throughout October. The unbranded music video follows Halloween revelers from dusk until dawn. A red beer ("Bloodweiser") acts as the catalyst that drives people to wear the horse mask, gather with friends, and summon a mythical creature; the half man/half horse known as the “King of Fears” - a metaphor for the emergence of one’s true self. The soundtrack for the video was co-written by American pop-star Kehlani (known for her haunting music style) and Grammy Award-winner Ryan Tedder (frontman of OneRepublic). The music video served as the inspiration for a live experience that launched across China, Chile, and Russia. Digital teasers, TVC’s, print, and OOH tied the entire campaign together.

Creative Execution

We launched a three week, proximity based, 360-degree campaign partnering with China to introduce the global program. This initiative included a signature event in China and pop-up bars in 12 cities. The music video content and cutdowns aired throughout China and at bars, KTVs, and in cinemas. Assets from the video were used in OOH and retail to drive sales. The events then spread to Chile and Russia, widening Budweiser’s consideration in emerging markets.

The music video and signature events made a tremendous impact on brand health and reached a massive amount of people. Trendsetting brand metrics went up nine points. Differentiation was up fourteen points. Twenty-six million views were garnered, along with 4.5 billion impressions. Most important, Budweiser saw an increased volume share of 11%.

This work is the music video that debuted the song, "Touch," written and performed by American pop star, Kehlani. Award-winning music video director Fleur Fortuné – who has created videos for Travis Scott, Drake, M83, Justice, and more – directed the video. Grammy Award-winner Ryan Tedder, frontman of OneRepublic, co-wrote and co-produced the song. We worked directly with the artists and their label to tailor the song to our mutual creative vision, resulting in a true partnership that tapped into the power of music to transcend cultural boundaries and captivate audiences on a global level.

We identified Halloween as the perfect cultural moment to create a new drinking occasion. Relatively new in parts of the globe, Halloween is seen as a time that liberates, empowers, and fuels possibility. Similarly, our consumer was seeking out no-pressure occasions to experience life on their terms. Halloween connected with our customer and our brand values of freedom, authenticity, and ambition. However, to reach a global audience, we needed to communicate in a universal language. Music, more than any form of media, resonates globally. Music plays a vital role in bars, clubs, and KTVs – places we want our consumers on Halloween night. That’s why we created a music video. The visual nature of music videos allowed us to introduce Bloodweiser and the Budweiser Clydesdale Halloween masks authentically. The music talent helped create a real cultural moment that inspired a premium Halloween experience, unlike anything our target had seen.