FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Monday, February 8, 2010.

THE NEWS
Budweiser wins Super Bowl XLIV.

THE DETAILS
Budweiser Canada and its agency, Grip Limited of Toronto, scored a big social media win on Super Bowl Sunday.

In a first for Canadian marketers, Budweiser created four different 15-second spots that leveraged the Bud Plane Flight Attendants, driving consumers to Facebook for a chance to win the first row of seats aboard the Bud Plane to next year’s Super Bowl XLV. The promotion ran only on game day. And the winner was announced immediately following the game.

The Bud Plane and Super Bowl activation are well-established assets for Budweiser (60+ lucky fans earned their way to South Florida for the game this year), but the social media one-day-only promotion was a first for the brand and for Grip.

“The promotion began at 12:01 am on Sunday, but the real traction came after the first spot aired,” says Adam Luck, Director, Interactive. A fact that dialed up urgency but defies conventional wisdom about seed times for contest communication.

THE RESULTS
• 30,000+ new fans of Budweiser on Facebook in one day.
• 126,000+ total fans of Budweiser on Facebook.
• Thousands of contest entrants.
• 1 very happy client.
• 1 very exhausted technical team.
• 1 very excited winner (and three of their friends).

Grip’s Superbowl XLIV activation for Budweiser enabled the brand to reclaim its title as the largest Facebook beer page in Canada.

ABOUT GRIP LIMITED
Grip Limited is a Toronto-based integrated communications company providing expertise in advertising, design and digital. Services include strategy and planning, creative development and production for traditional and non-traditional media, brand identity and package design. Grip’s coveted client roster includes: AB-InBev, Honda Canada Inc., Boehringer Ingelheim, Expedia.ca, Cadbury and Johnson & Johnson. The company is privately held. For more information, visit www.bigorangeslide.com

MEDIA CONTACT
Dave Hamilton, Partner – Creative • (416) 340-7111

A quick note to share three pieces of good Grip news:

We won some Digital Marketing Awards (DMAs):
Silver – Consumer Packaged Goods Website – KokaneeBeer.ca
Silver – Consumer Products Website – Honda Fit
Silver – Online Video – Honda Blue Skies
Bronze – Social Media – Bud Light Lime

. . . some Advertising & Design Club of Canada (ADCC) awards:
Silver – Innovative Campaign – Kokanee Ranger Live or Die
Merit – Website – Kokanee Ranger Live or Die
Merit – Finale TV – Kokanee Ranger Live or Die
Gold – Email – Kokanee Ranger Live or Die
Silver – Website – Honda Fit
Merit – Product Promotion – Happy Planet
Silver – TV Campaign – Bud Light NHL Between the Posts
Merit – Trade Ad, Single – NABS Seagull
Merit – Poster, Campaign– Nearly Naked

. . . and the AutoTrader.ca business:
After an intense pitch process, we’re thrilled to announce that we’ve won the AutoTrader.ca business. This is a great brand and a great team. We’re pumped to be working with them.

Awards are valuable for a couple of reasons. They’re a nice pat on the back. They let you know how you’re performing in the industry. They get people excited about doing great work. And they let clients know that the quality of their work is at a competitive level.

Same goes for winning new business.

Congrats to all involved.