Budweiser’s global mission to produce and sell its beer using renewable energy was recognised at Cannes Lions last month, winning Silver in The Creative Business Transformation Lions for the work led by purpose agency Revolt.
Budweiser knows that the way the world is powered has to change, with the energy supply sector equating to 35% of global emissions. That’s why in 2015 Budweiser committed to brewing 100% of its beer with renewable electricity by 2025.
The world’s largest brewer wanted to involve its consumers as 74% said climate change was their number one concern, but felt helpless to impact it. Budweiser helped close this gap for them. Working with Revolt, Budweiser launched the first mass ‘consumer mark’ for renewable electricity as part of its commitment to 100% renewable brewing.
The Budweiser Energy Collective
But Budweiser wanted to go further. Within the hospitality industry, switching to renewable energy is expensive, which means up to 90% of the industry is run on fossil fuels or nuclear power. But, what if every bar serving Budweiser’s beer was also powered by 100% renewable electricity? And what if Budweiser’s on-trade partners didn’t just see the brewer as a beer provider, but as an energy provider too?
Which is where The Budweiser Energy Collective comes in. The programme leverages Budweiser’s unique scale to secure renewable electricity at hugely discounted prices. Now, not only is every Budweiser brewed with 100% renewable energy, but it can be enjoyed in venues that are too.
“This provided the opportunity for us to build our relationships with bars selling more Budweiser, making the world more renewable, and keeping more venues open who are increasingly under pressure from expensive energy bills,” said Todd Allen, Budweiser’s global VP of marketing.
He added: “We’ve seen what can be achieved when you fuse huge ambition with breakthrough creativity. Not only has it driven impact, but in every market we serve we've seen renewed love for our brand as well.”
Award-winning creative thinking
The Budweiser Energy Collective took the Silver Lion in The Creative Business Transformation Lions, which celebrates the creativity that drives businesses forward and the creative thinking that changes how businesses organise themselves. This was the first time a UK-based agency had won in this category.
Alex Lewis, co-founder at Revolt, said: “This caps a five year partnership with Budweiser. The Energy Collective shows the role branded creativity can have as an accelerator of impact. It's a win for the brand, their customers and their drinkers. But most importantly, it’s another nudge towards the actions we all need to take if we're to mitigate the impacts of the climate emergency.”
Watch Revolt’s film to learn more about how Budweiser took its people, consumers and trade partners on the renewable energy journey: