Budweiser had a perception problem. A common opinion voiced in research was “Budweiser is made in a factory with the push of a button.” Anyone who actually knows beer, knows that in the brewing world Budweiser is considered the standard bearer of quality and consistency, made by some of the world’s most skilled brewmasters. AB InBev’s Chief Brewmaster, Pete Kraemer, says “If you don’t tell your story, someone else will and it won’t be flattering”. For too long, Budweiser had let other people tell its story. It was time for that to change.
Telling Budweiser’s story to a new generation of beer drinkers would take more than ads. It would demand content that exists authentically in the media channels they trust and that is worthy of their time commitment. Taking advantage of this “golden age of documentary” (CBS News, 2019), we set about telling the true story of one of America’s greatest icons through a feature-length documentary film.
We pursued an entertainment distribution approach, benefiting from a domino rollout: exclusive announcement in entertainment trades, theatrical premiere and in theater run, availability on TVOD (e.g. iTunes), inflight entertainment (e.g. Delta), DVD and finally, availability on SVOD (e.g. Amazon Prime). With this release strategy the film would be able to work hard over time, earning space otherwise reserved for brands through expensive media buys.
The film was acquired and distributed by Gravitas Ventures. It was announced exclusively in The Wrap, premiered at #9 on iTunes’ Top Documentaries and ran in select theaters across the US. It was a featured film on various international airlines including Delta and is now available to stream for free on Amazon Prime and AppleTV+.
Receiving over 270MM media impressions. Inc. included the film in its 10 Best Business Movies of 2019, writing that the brewmasters’ “competitive instincts and dedication to making the best possible product should strike a chord with any entrepreneur.” The film was reviewed positively by esteemed publications including the Los Angeles Times, which suggested it would “bring some former fans back to the fold.”
It was an official selection of the Academy Award-qualifying St. Louis Film Festival and won Best Feature Documentary at the Boulder Film and Brew Festival.
Agency: ACE Content
Role: Creative Producer for film and all marketing.