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Budweiser infuses Super Bowl responsible driving campaign with mobile utility

Budweiser taps mobile?s potential to bring consumer utility to high-profile Super Bowl ads with a site that makes it easy to find the most convenient way home and supports the brand?s responsible driving message. 

Mobile is built into the new campaign in several ways, including enlisting actress Helen Mirren to forcefully call out drivers to protect lives and hopefully start a conversation via the hashtag #GiveADamn, which triggers a branded emoji on Twitter. The StandWithBud.com site furthers the mobile focus with a way for those watching the Super Bowl at a bar or with friends to input their location and find the most convenient transportation options, including taxis and car services. 

?As with everything we do, we ensure our content is mobile-ready,? said a Budweiser spokesman. ?This includes making StandWithBud.com easily accessible via mobile so we can help consumers find a safe way home on game night.

?On the social front, for each use of campaign hashtag #GiveADamn through 11:59 p.m. ET on Sunday night, Budweiser will spend an additional $1 on safe ride home programs, up to $1 million, in 2016,? he said. ?The hashtag also triggers an eye-catching Twitter emoji that will facilitate additional shares of the campaign message.

Second screen experiences
With so many Americans planted in front of televisions to watch the Super Bowl, brands such as Budweiser typically invest heavily in high-profile spots to air during the game. However, the past few years have seen numerous marketers fail to extend the investment through mobile engagement, a significant oversight as TV viewing increasingly occurs with a smartphone in hand. 

In contrast, Budweiser appears to given significant thought to how to incorporate mobile into its new responsible driving campaign. 

The Simply Put 60-second spot from Budweiser that will air during the Super Bowl features Ms. Mirren in a witty, pull-no-punches call to viewers to not drive drunk and to avoid being ?a short sighted, utterly useless, oxygen wasting human form of pollution.?

The spot, which was created by Anomaly, is already viewable on Budweiser?s YouTube channel and is being promoted by the brand. 


Stand With Bud
The creative can also be viewed on the Stand With Bud site, which Budweiser created to encourage fans to find safe rides home on game night. Given the on-the-go, location-based nature of the intended use case, the site was clearly designed to be mobile first. 

On the site, users can put in their ZIP code to find a ride. They can also take a pledge, using drop-down menus with big buttons, that they will not be short sighted, oxygen wasting, a blockhead or a variety of other putdowns and will not drive drunk. The pledge can then be shared across social media. 
 
For each use of campaign hashtag #GiveADamn through 11:59 p.m. ET on Sunday night, when the Super Bowl airs, Budweiser pledges to spend an additional $1 on safe ride home programs, up to $1 million, in 2016. 


The hashtag also triggers a branded Twitter emoji designed to facilitate additional shares of the campaign message. The emoji shows a bottle of Budweiser and a hand dropping a set of car keys. 

The campaign was designed to encourage consumers to start a conversation about drunk driving and to make a plan for how they will get home after the game. 
 
During the Super Bowl, Budweiser will debut an additional 30-second spot by Anomaly titled ?Not Backing Down? and featuring the brand?s  well-known Budweiser Clydesdales. 

Budweiser is also spiking brand awareness ahead of the Super Bowl by rolling out sponsored advertisements on Facebook featuring recipes for party snacks that consumers can make with the brand?s beer (see story). 

?We know that reaching our consumers means making our content accessible wherever they are,? the spokesman said. ?We think mobile first for any experience we?re creating, especially StandWithBud.com, so we can provide people with the most convenient transportation options based on their locations.?