As New Year Eve 2020 approached, people were unable to celebrate in large crowds as the US was still reeling from the crippling effects of the pandemic, with most areas under stay-at-home orders with strict social distancing and mask mandates in place that left many consumers afraid they’d miss out on the hope and joy associated with traditionally large, in-person NYE parties and events.
NYE 2020 was going to be different than past celebrations and consumers weren’t sure what to do. They still wanted to celebrate with their friends and family but needed a way to do so safely.
Bud Light Seltzer needed a sure-fire way to ensure its consumers got exactly what they were looking for – an epic NYE party and saw opportunity to bring entertaining branded content and people together over fun– even if they couldn’t be together in person.
And so, Bud Light Seltzer Sessions NYE 2021 was born, a next generation multi-city simulcast livestream with top musical artists including brand friend and Grammy-nominated artist, Post Malone, Grammy-nominated, superstar DJ and producer, Steve Aoki, Grammy-nominated, Latin pop-star Sebastián Yatra, platinum Hip-Hop artist Saweetie, American singer/songwriter Teddy Swims, and multi-platinum rapper Jack Harlow.
Promoted through a multi-pronged plan, using artist channels, radio + Spotify playlists, high-impact social placements and prominent signage within MGM properties. All promotions drove consumers to an interactive RSVP website offering all visitors an opportunity to win a meet and greet with their favorite artist. The engaging RSVP website drove 44K+ data records, well above the goal of 25K maximizing our ability to collect data.
On New Year's Eve, the interactive website housed all shows and interactive elements. With a main stage dedicated to live performers and a secondary stage for DJs, viewers were able to toggle between the two stages allowing them to customize their viewing experience based on mood and energy level. They were also able to participate in live giveaways, polls, watch parties and live chats.
The combination of interactive elements pushed our consumers view time on the website to 14 min vs overall average view time of 2:14 minutes, well over the average keeping them engaged at a rate 12% above our target with content distributed not only on the website but on artist and brand channels, as well as partner channels including our wholesalers and MGM.
In addition to the interactive website, the content was streamed across 54 endpoints including artist and brand channels and partner channels including wholesalers, MGM and more. Through side panel advertisements, viewers were encouraged to join MYCOOLER (AB’s consumer loyalty program) with 25% of all MYCOOLER visitors converted to loyalty members.
To drive beer consumption, Stock Up ads were posted driving viewers to purchase through DRIZLY and GoPuff driving a 19% increase in Bud Light family sales on DRIZLY vs P2W.
The show was received positively with 99% positive sentiment from viewers and led the competition on NYE streams with 15M viewers, 2M higher than the next closest stream.
Brand Results & Goals:
