Budweiser Canada Joins Global Support as Anticipation Builds for the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil(TM)

Brand Unveils Rise As One Campaign

TORONTO, June 10, 2014 /CNW/ - Budweiser, the official sponsor of the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil^TM, today revealed the Canadian components of its fully integrated, global content series as part of the brand's Rise As One FIFA World Cup^TM campaign, available to soccer fans across the country.

Centered around the Rise As One thematic which honours the moments that unite soccer fans worldwide, Believe As One commercial captures the spirit of anticipation now building around the world as fans and players eagerly look ahead to the FIFA World Cup^TM tournament, and will exist online as well as throughout the tournament on CBC.

"Soccer is unique in its ability to unite fans all over the globe and its unifying power is never more evident than when the world comes together during the FIFA World Cup^TM," said Andrew Sneyd, Global Vice President, Budweiser. "Through the Rise As One campaign and our new spot Believe As One, Budweiser showcases the passion and building anticipation shared by fans and players the world over." 

Budweiser CBC/Radio-Canada Broadcast Partnership
Budweiser will be an official broadcast partner of CBC/Radio-Canada for the games gaining access to in-game content, the post game "Man of the Match" feature presentation, as well as being an official sponsor for a massive viewing party on Front Street in Toronto for the FIFA World Cup^TM Final.

"We're very pleased to have partnered with Budweiser on these initiatives," said Jim Kozak, Director of Sales, Olympics and Sports Partnerships.  "CBC/Radio-Canada and Budweiser  each share a passion for the beautiful game and we're looking forward to presenting that to millions of Canadians across the country through our coverage."

In addition to traditional advertising, Budweiser is giving digital a prime spot in it's activation with a string of video and social efforts. Budweiser has created a microsite for its "Rise as One" campaign that serves as a hub for all video and social content surrounding the week-long event. As far as video, the campaign includes two Web series that Budweiser has created with Fox Sports and Vice. The Fox Sports content spans 80 countries for a global push, and the Vice video includes a six-part documentary series.

Rise As One Modern Day Stories
Budweiser and VICE are creating a series of short digital episodes that follow the same campaign thematic and will tell five incredible and inspiring contemporary stories from around the world. They are available to view on www.riseasone.com and are:

• From Brazil, "Soccer is Believing" – a highly competitive form of the sport is played by blind and partially-sighted athletes and this film follows as one of the top teams in Brazil tries to pull a new player out of isolation.
• In Koh Panyee, a tiny island floating off the coast of Thailand, a group of soccer-crazed fisherman encountered a unique problem in that there was no land to play the beautiful game.  This short explores how a group of friends came up with an idea that would eventually spawn one of the most successful clubs in southern Thailand.
• Situated in the Darfur region in Eastern Chad, the Djabal Refugee Camp is home to six tribes, many of whom have been in conflict for centuries.  Darfur United is the first team ever established to represent the region in international sports. 
• This film explores the growing grassroots soccer sub-cultures developing in unexpected places in China.  Follow one of Beijing's most prestigious independent teams to a Naxi village in the rural southwest to see what happens when old and new China mix on the pitch.
• In Texas, we follow the best amputee players in America as they come together for tryouts and the team's first training camp in hopes of representing their country in the Amputee Football World Cup.

"No other competition offers such powerful moments of celebration, optimism and camaraderie to its fans, and Budweiser will be right there on the ground to share in those moments and help make them more exciting than ever before." said Michaela Charette, Director of Marketing Budweiser Canada.

For more details on Budweiser's creative content series and the Rise As One campaign, visit www.RiseAsOne.com and follow @budcanada on Twitter.

About Budweiser & Soccer
Budweiser has a strong commitment to soccer globally, having served as official beer sponsor of the FIFA World Cup™ for over 25 years, and with an ongoing commitment through the 2018 and 2022 tournaments. 

About Budweiser
While Budweiser will serve as the official beer of the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil^™, Anheuser-Busch InBev will once again leverage its portfolio of beers around the world by extending local sponsorship rights to its leading brands in select soccer markets, including Brahma (Brazil), Harbin (China), Corona (Mexico), Jupiler (Belgium and The Netherlands), Siberian Crown (Russia), Cass (Korea), Hasseröder (Germany) and Beck's (Italy), among others. 

Budweiser - the King of Beers - has been brewed since 1876 under the highest quality standards. Brewed in Canada for more than 30 years, Budweiser uses only the finest ingredients without any artificial ingredients, additives or preservatives. Budweiser is distinguished by its clean, crisp, distinctive flavour, the result of a unique beechwood aging process.

For more information, visit  www.budweiser.ca or www.facebook.com/budweisercanada.

SOURCE: BUDWEISER

For further information: Laura Ballantyne, Veritas Communications Inc., [email protected], 416-955-4591; Lorraine Doherty, Labatt Breweries of Canada, [email protected], 416-361-5247