BUD LIGHT, THE SUPER BOWL & SHAZAM

INTERACTIVE SUPER BOWL SPOT FEATURES DOWNLOADBLE WORLD PREMIER SONG VIA SHAZAM APP

The Situation

Bud Light wanted to push their latest packaging innovation, a resealable cap, during the Super Bowl. We'd already put together a product-focused spot for an internal sales need, and everyone loved it.  We weren't expecting that sizzle video to turn into Super Bowl spot. Gulp.

Bud Light "Cool Twist"

:30 Shazamable Broadcast Spot, debuted during Super Bowl 48.

Shazam Mobile Landing Page

Twitter Reactions

Millennial EDM fans tweeted their support and shared the spot.

Press Coverage

The Solution

It’s the Super Bowl - pretty product shots wouldn’t be enough. We brought in Shazam to add an interactive component, and worked with major music labels to source and secure upcoming EDM talent, knowing they would help Bud Light make a connection with the elusive Millennial.

The result was that our spot would not only introduce the world to the Bud Light Cool Twist package, it would also be the world debut of a new radio-friendly single from superstar EDM DJ Afrojack.

A partnership with the Shazam app meant that whenever the spot aired, you could "Shazam" it and download the song for free.

The Results

• THE GOOD: The EDM community of forward-thinking Millennials embraced the Afrojack connection, helped spread the love on social media before, during and after the broadcast, and Shazamed the spot hundreds of thousands of times.
• SOME MORE GOOD: Bud Light wanted consumers to know that their new bottle had a resealable top. I'm pretty sure that the 114 million people watching the Super Bowl walked away with that knowledge.
• STATISTICS! I HAVE STATISTICS! The spot scored a 642 with Ace Metrix - that's 78 points above the norm for all other beer ads! And it got a 161 IPSOS score, which is nuts .
• THE BAD: I guess America didn't know about that IPSOS score? As far as Super Bowl commercials go, this one was...not particularly well-received by the Super Bowl watching public. WHICH WAS NOT A SURPRISE TO ME.  People are looking for big laughs, epic production value, or emotional connections in a Super Bowl commercial. This was project was a reminder to believe in your gut instincts. Mine said "don't run this during the Super Bowl!" 

What I Learned

• Best practices for integrating Shazam content into a broadcast spot.
• That people aren’t looking for a straight product spot during the Super Bowl. No matter how “current” it is. 
• The nuisances of providing creative direction to a global superstar DJ and his team of producers.
• The power of EDM twitter.
• To avoid the comments section of YouTube. Ouch.