Sholing FC, the grassroots semi professional soccer team for the Sholing district of Southampton, England were unable to receive promotion not due to the quality of their play, but their facilities.
The poor condition of the club’s pitch means they couldn’t meet the standards of more senior leagues. So Budweiser decided to surprise the team with a £100,000 grant through its Club Futures program.
Anomaly, production company Bullion and director James Willis documented the occasion while claiming to be filming a documentary about the team. Budweiser was so taken with the results that they decided to release the spot as a 90-second broadcast version running during the FA Cup, in addition to the full-length online version. Whether or not the surprise itself was staged, the spot shows the brand making a real difference with the donation and FC Sholing is clearly elated to be given the opportunity to upgrade its facilities.