Being the official beer of the England Men’s Team is something worth celebrating and Bud Light decided to mark the role as “Officially the Official Beer of the England Men’s Team” in an epic way, adapting its packaging so that fans can take part in the action. “Bud Light Boxheads,” a campaign created and developed with the help of agency Wieden+Kennedy London, features the faces of Jordan Pickford, Kyle Walker, and Kieran Trippier on the packs, allowing fans to be one of these footballers even just for a short period of time.
As of May, the packs of 12 and 20 beer bottles sold in England will be decorated with the football players’ faces, which fans can wear on their heads to show their support for the team during the tournament. In addition to the boxes transformed into fanwear, the company also announced the launching of a limited-edition England can design featuring The Three Lions, the visual motif of the team.
Martina Isella, Senior Brand Manager for Bud Light, comments: “Brands often feature the face of their ambassadors on the packaging but Boxheads takes it to another level. There simply isn’t anything like it out there. It’s a revolutionary step forward in beer packaging, and we can’t wait to see football fans across the country wearing Boxheads and supporting The Three Lions in a much more fun and immersive way.”
Paddy Treacy, W+K Creative Director, adds: “We’re super excited to see what the public makes of it all. Starting a conversation around football. Putting an idea out into the world and seeing what comes back. Drink the beer. Wear the box. Support your team. It’s that easy.”
The news about the campaign and the larger-than-life packs was teased at the World Cup qualifier matches in March. While playing against San Marino and Poland, the “heads” of the three football players popped up in the stands in Wembley. According to the agency, the famous spectators were quickly noticed by the media, with The Guardian turning the Boxheads into an editorial cartoon.
“Bud Light has been an official sponsor of the England Men’s team since 2018 and we’re delighted to see how Bud Light is bringing fun to Three Lions fans this summer as Officially the Official beer of England. While we may have had to wait a bit longer for this tournament, it’s great to see how Bud Light is using its light-hearted humor to bring football fans closer to the action,” concluded Kathryn Swarbrick, Commercial Director at The Football Association.
The integrated marketing campaign includes a 30-second-long video showcasing the players as they walk down a dimly lit corridor. The intensity of the moment is further enhanced by the music, piquing the audience’s curiosity about what is going to happen next.
The short video is boosted on social and PR, while a TVC championing the Bud Light England can is amplified on TV, VOD, DOOH, and OOH. The campaign also includes large-scale retail activity, giveaways, and store takeovers in cooperation with major retailers, an England beer store in partnership with Amazon, and a set of social assets and activations developed in collaboration with players, influencers, and the FA. Football fans can now get involved and support their team with “a beer [they] can drink and a box [they] can wear.”
Credits:
Client: Bud Light
Client Name: Rowan Chidgey, Matt Leadbeater, Lourenco Arriaga, Martina Isella, Ed Hussey, Amar Singh, Aina Fuller
Agency: Wieden+Kennedy London
Creative Director: Paddy Treacy & Mark Shanley
Creatives: Joe Bruce, Albert Pukies, Jake Attree, Matt Callaby
Executive Creative Directors: Tony Davidson & Iain Tait
Group Account Director: Matt Owen
Account Director: Lara Wahab, Amy Kilty
Account Manager: Oliver Mitchell, Abi Divine
Planning Director: Brian Ritter
Comms Planning: Martin Bassot
Producer: Sylvie Edwards, Iona Patterson, Michelle Brough, Dom Felton
Design Director: Aaron Skipper
Lead Designer: Ben Arfur, Jonny Isaacson
Motion Graphics: Jon Harris
Studio Artworker: David Brodie
Business Affairs: Alex Coomer, Helena Tomas
TV PRODUCTION
Production Company: Private Island
Director: Chris Boyle
Executive Producer / Managing Director: Helen Power
Production Company Producer: Eleri Evans
Production Manager: Eolande Diaz
Director of Photography: Matthew Fox
Production Designer: Chris Lowe
Costume Designer: Steven Spencer
Editorial Company: Private Island
Editor: Andreas Geroghiou
Edit Assistant: Paul Clements
Edit Producer: Áine O’Donnell
VFX Company: Private Island
VFX Head of Production: Helen Power
VFX Producer: Áine O’Donnell
VFX Supervisor: David Post
Colourist: Denny Cooper
Sound Company: 750mph
Sound Designer: Jake Ashwell / Sam Ashwell
Sound Producer: Martin Critchley
Music Company: Twenty Below Music (Boxheads)
Music Supervisor / Producer: Emily Pritchard