Beer looks to light up World Cup

This summer looks set to be an exceptional one for football fans around the world, and not least in China, where the chance to shout, cheer and celebrate the “beautiful game” is rarely missed.

Yes, it’s World Cup time again. And after a four-year hiatus the 21st competition is about to kick off in 11 cities across Russia, lasting an entire month starting from June 14 and ending on July 15.

While some may choose to spend many a sleepless night snacking in front of the TV on the long viewing journey toward the finals, others will be planning to hit the bar and party like there’s no tomorrow. Whatever happens, there will always be one common element — beer.

Football without beer is like a beef burger no pickle slice — it’s just not the same without it.

This year, World Cup sponsor Budweiser and its partner FIFA are determined to top previous tournaments by offering up a new experience to football fans around the world with the launch of its biggest campaign to date, under the slogan “Light Up the FIFA World Cup”.

“There is no other event on the planet like the FIFA World Cup that brings this many people together and unites them around a shared passion,” says Brian Perkins, Budweiser’s global vice president. “It is an epic global holiday that only takes place once every four years. We want to tap into these unprecedented levels of excitement.”

Unlike the previous competition in Brazil, this year’s World Cup is taking place in the colder climes of Russia, where Budweiser hopes to ignite a sense of passion and fire through the launch of its new noise-activated Red Light Cups.

While the wail of vuvuzela horns provided the rowdy soundtrack to the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, this year the global brewing giant hopes to create a brighter backdrop to the event with party cups that respond to the ever-changing atmosphere around the pitch.

The idea is simple. The base of the beer cup holds a microphone that sets off three LED lights when it detects big changes in noise levels, such as cheering and clapping, sparking tens of thousands of cups to simultaneously turn the stadium into a sea of red whenever the football action erupts.

“This is the first ever beer cup that literally amplifies fan energy. The more you cheer, the more your cup lights up”, Perkins tells China Daily during a recent interview.

And it’s not just spectators in Russia that will be using the new cups. Fans from China and around the world will also be able to buy the cups and cheer along with the action in Russia.

“We will be making these available throughout China,” he continues. “Our campaign shows how we can bring together fans from all over the world through beer and a shared passion for football.”

Budweiser is also collaborating with 16 top hotels in 13 cities around China to host a series of rooftop viewing parties to allow fans to follow the immersive frenzy of the competition from up on high.

Perkins hopes Budweiser’s marketing efforts will help the brand to reach some 3.2 billion football fans tuning into the World Cup over the summer.

PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow will bookend the 2018 World Cup, hosting the opening match of the tournament on June 14 and the final on July 15.