f you checked out our post from last night, you already know that Budweiser is the official beer sponsor of the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil (which yours truly will be attending). We had a chance to ask Andrew Sneyd, Global Vice President of Budweiser a few questions about their sponsorship and participation in this summer’s event. Check out Mr. Sneyd’s answers after the jump:
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1.How did you come up with the idea of commemorating the Final Draw with a piece of art?
a.We wanted to find a unique way to celebrate the Final Draw and showcase the global reach both the World Cup and Budweiser offer. We commissioned performance artist David Garibaldi to develop a one-of-a-kind work of art, to be created in real-time during the Final Draw because we felt a visual representation of all 32 countries and their quest to be crowned the best in the world would be a unique and lasting reminder for the tournament.
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2.How did you select David Garibaldi as the artist?
a. The World Cup is one of the most exciting events in the world, as passionate fans from all corners of the globe come together to celebrate the beautiful game, and Budweiser wanted to find a way to capture that energy. David’s energy, enthusiasm and commitment for the concept was exactly what we were trying to convey during the Draw, and we are thrilled with the final piece.
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The artist and his piece of art
3.What does it mean to be the official beer sponsor of the 2014 World Cup in Brazil?
a.Football and sports in general are a key global celebration moment and the 2014 FIFA World Cup offers a strong and relevant global platform for us to connect with passionate football fans around the world. We’re looking forward to the opportunities presented as this tournament brings the excitement of the beautiful game to new places around the world, and to connect Budweiser with even more consumers globally, which is one reason we’ve been sponsoring the FIFA World Cup since 1986.
4.What other promotions can we expect from Budweiser leading up to the 2014 World Cup?
a.From now through the end of the tournament, we will have a variety of integrated digital, content, experiential, trade and social marketing activities aimed at providing fans around the world with a rich World Cup experience and getting them closer to the game they love. Long-standing Budweiser World Cup activations such as the Man of the Match award and our grassroots 6v6 tournament will be in place in 2014. In addition, we have several other exciting initiatives that will roll out next year that we feel will resonate with football fans worldwide.
5.Will you be running any 2014 World Cup themed contests or giveaways for fans?
a.Yes, and while we can’t share full details at this time, we were thrilled to offer fans a few of these opportunities during the Final Draw recently. For example, with a goal of celebrating the global unifying aspect of football and providing fans with unique content and access to help them get closer to, and enjoy, the game they love – we had two primary executions for the Draw. We hosted a live discussion on our second screen app with Brek Shea, current Stoke City (EPL) player and US National Team member, Sacha Kljestan, Anderlecht (Belgian Pro League) and US National Team member and English football pundit and former England National Team, Trevor Francis. We also gave fans in the UK and US a chance to win an all-expenses paid trip to Brazil for the World Cup on Budweiser’s Facebook page by predicting the draw results of their respective national teams.
6.Will the Bud Light mascot Spuds MacKenzie ever make a comeback?
a. Well… now that’s a question for our friends over at Bud Light… but I’m not sure football would be his go to sport if he did, though he was quick…
Bring back Spuds!
7.Is there any difference between the Budweiser sold in Brazil and what we drink here in the States?
a. Budweiser is brewed to be universally popular and transcend regional tastes. Each batch of Budweiser follows the same family recipe used by five generations of Busch family brewmasters.
8.Finally, as someone who’ll be attending the opening round of the World Cup, I’m dying to know, how much can I expect to pay for a Bud at a match in Brazil?
a. Pricing in stadium is a joint decision between FIFA, the in-stadium concessionaire (Aramark) and our team; we hope to have final details to share soon. We’ll look forward to tasting the World Cup with you in Brazil!
