Bud Light Broncos Tailgate x The Pineapple Agency
Bud Light wanted to bring fan engagement to Empower Field at Mile High and the Denver Broncos home games for the 2019 season by throwing an epic tailgate party before all eight home games.
Tailgates are an iconic part of college and pro football games across the country. The grassroots atmosphere and daylong party make tailgates the perfect place for a beverage activation, while the rules surrounding setup, teardown, and logistics make pulling off the perfect branded tailgate surprisingly tricky. Luckily, Bud Light relied on The Pineapple Agency to execute with style and professionalism.
The Pineapple Agency was excited to collaborate with Bud Light again, embracing the opportunity to work within the unique constraints of a tailgate at Empower Field. Bud Light and Pineapple previously worked together on a photo activation which involved fabricating a wall of hundreds of Bud Light cans with Post Malone’s grinning face on them. The photo opportunity took place fittingly at a Post Malone concert. The brand also hired TPA to concept and produce Michelob UltraShot which earned local and national media coverage and created a rapport between the agency and Anheuser-Busch for pulling off some highly memorable experiential marketing events.
Throwing a Tailgate Party, Pineapple Style
Every stadium across the country has parking lots where fans gather as soon as the gates open for barbecue, beer, and camaraderie. As football stadiums increase prices inside the gates, tailgates in the parking lot remain an essential part of the fan experience during weekends all fall and winter.
Bud Light wanted to throw a fun, fan-centric tailgate and enlisted The Pineapple Agency to turn a business-minded activation into a brand immersive party. The Bud Light Broncos Experience was like the mullet of tailgates—business goals, party atmosphere. Together, we created a tailgate that followed all the rules of the stadium while letting fans enjoy a fun pre-game experience with Bud Light products in their hands. Logistically, we managed permitting, load-in and load-out for each game, coordinated all of the food and beverage operations and added some creative flair to the overall experience.
The Bud Light Broncos Experience
Bud Light wanted to create memorable tailgates at all eight Broncos’ home games, providing fans with camaraderie, free food and beverages, and personalized brand experience. The Bud Light Broncos Experience provided tailgate food, Anheuser Busch-brand beverages served from a Build-A-Bar, a rooftop DJ, an inflatable Bud Light castle, a custom photo booth that put fans on the infield, and special guests like the Bud Light Knight and the Denver Broncos Stampede.
Each tailgate catered to 500-800 football fans, serving over 1,800 beverages per game. The Bud Light Knight attended four of the eight tailgates and the Broncos’ own Stampede + Broncos Bass spirit and drumlines stopped by several times, providing fans with unique engagement and social media sharing opportunities. The Bud Light Broncos Experience tailgate was featured on the NFL Network’s Thursday Night Football broadcast when Denver hosted the Kansas City Chiefs as the most raucous pre-game party before a noteworthy AFC West rivalry matchup!
Highlights
- Over 6,400 fans attended the tailgate during the 2019 Broncos’ season
- Over 14,400 Anheuser Busch-brand beverages were served at the eight tailgates!
- Gave away three pairs of tickets per game, giving 48 fans a premium game watching experience plus pre-game field access
- 558 lbs of hamburger and 1580 individual hot dogs served
- 100+ photos shared from a custom-fabricated photo booth
- Gave away swag (koozies, sweatshirts, rally towels, T-shirts)
- Thousands of social media impressions
- Chase McNary from the Bachelorette and other influencers attended the tailgates.
- The tailgate activation was featured in the Budweiser Bugle, a weekly newsletter that goes out to NFL and Budweiser marketing teams, as an activation to be emulated.
Throwing the Perfect Tailgate Together
Through a series of high-energy tailgates, Bud Light and The Pineapple Agency reached 6,400 fans during the 2019 Denver Broncos’ season. The goal was to throw the ultimate tailgate party with plenty of Bud Light swag and immerse each fan in the Bud Light Broncos team spirit. Popping the tab on over 14,000 Annheuser Busch-brand beverages helped keep the atmosphere light, while the special guests, photo moments, parking lot games, and casual feel made the Bud Light Broncos Experience the ideal pre-game scenario. The Pineapple Agency enjoyed having the opportunity to do what we do best: a mix of creative, strategy, production and logistics, and a whole lot of fun with our client.
