No stranger to pet focused advertising, Budweiser welcomed the NBA Finals with another brilliant campaign revolving around dogs. However, rather than narrating a heartfelt storyline, they decided it was time to give back to man’s best friend.
As King James faced the Heat in an attempt to regain his throne, NBA fans’ pets faced the inevitable fate of being nudged off the couch before tip off. League partner, Budweiser, felt partly to blame and decided it was only right to re-throne all of the pets who had claimed the couch during quarantine. The Reclaim Your Throne campaign was their way of making amends.
Through this campaign ran in Brazil, Budweiser partnered with the largest pet care shop in the country to produce proper puppy seating - branded dog beds. These beds were available on the online pet store in a variety of sizes. Best of all, sales profits will be donated to several animal protection non-profits.
As an NBA fan and dog owner, the Reclaim Your Throne campaign is one of my favorite of the year. I really appreciate its clever integration of influencer and social media marketing. The campaign builds on a social media favorite - sharing cute pet moments online. Brazilian influencers were quick to promote it through adorable snaps of their pets on their Budweiser beds. However, social shares spread far past influencers as customers began to post their own pets enjoying the comfort of their new thrones.
Africa, one of the largest advertising agencies in Brazil, developed the Reclaim Your Throne campaign perfectly in line with the Budweiser brand. Its pet focused commercials have become fan favorites, including the renowned SuperBowl commercials Lost Dog and Puppy Love (below). Through social media stickers/gifs and interactive app features, Africa was able to integrate this traditional Budweiser theme into the digital space.
On Sunday night, the Larry O'Brien trophy was presented to LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers, marking their 17th championship in franchise history. The final buzzer of Game 6 of the Finals officially made the NBA Bubble a complete success. Amidst a global pandemic, the league was able to bring the season to completion with 0 positive COVID-19 cases throughout nearly 100 days of action. Along the way, the NBA empowered athletes to promote social justice and voter rights during a pivotal time in our nation’s history.This successful conclusion was celebrated by the league and NBA fans throughout the world - and thanks to Budweiser, their pets celebrated along with them.
