Budweiser teamed up with AKQA for a new social campaign allowing Facebook users to send beers to their buddies via the social media outlet. While right now the service is exclusive to those living in Chicago and Denver, it will soon roll out nationally.
The campaign debuted with a pilot on Facebook, in feeds for adults 21 and older in Chicago and Denver. Facebook users in those locations (and soon the rest of the country) will be prompted to share a Budweiser with a friend when wishing them a happy birthday or celebrating other occasions. If they choose to share a Budweiser, the friend will be sent an online voucher, to be redeemed at a local bar or restaurant (with a valid ID). The service functions without any type of external download, as users are simply “taken to a customized mobile or desktop experience to send or claim a beer.”
“Beer is the original social network,” said Lucas Herscovici, Anheuser-Busch vice president of consumer connections. “This new campaign focuses not on a gift certificate or credit, but on bringing people together to celebrate life’s most anticipated moments. Whether you’re toasting your birthday, a job promotion, an engagement, or simply the end of a long work week, we want to encourage everyone to bridge the physical and digital worlds by allowing you to send your friend a beer over Facebook.”