Budweiser has been tapping into nostalgia for its ads during quarantine, and now the beer brand is extending that theme to music.
The AB InBev brand has debuted Budweiser Rewind, an interactive live music series in which artists perform their greatest hits and share stories their fans haven’t heard before. The brand kicked off the program with a two-hour performance by the Black Eyed Peas on May 16, livestreamed from a Los Angeles studio on Budweiser’s YouTube and Facebook channels.
“We know people are seeking comfort from familiar experiences during this time,” said Monica Rustgi, vp of marketing at Budweiser, in a statement. “Budweiser has a long-standing relationship with live music—and we don’t want to skip a beat.”
Budweiser Rewind draws on “the best elements” of Budweiser Superfest, a music festival that ran for 30 years from 1980 to 2010, “while acknowledging today’s shifts in live music viewing,” Rustgi added.
The Black Eyed Peas, which currently consists of members Will.i.am, Apl.de.ap, Taboo and J Rey Soul, performed songs including Let’s Get It Started, Rock That Body and Pump It.
The stream incorporated interactive elements for viewers, who could help curate the setlist and ask questions directly to the artists on social media. Select viewers were also video-beamed into the livestream to ask the band questions and share stories of attending past Black Eyed Peas concerts.
On Instagram Stories, fans could also unlock a red cassette filter for the event to post with the hashtag #BEPBudRewind.
According to a Budweiser spokesperson, the brand kept health and safety top of mind when producing the first event, with most of the internal team and agency partners working remotely.
Budweiser worked with Amsterdam-based experiential marketing agency Wink to develop the program and visual assets. Live event and video production company Done+Dusted helmed the production in Los Angeles, with its director Zooming in from London.
The brand also aimed to restrict physical interaction as much as possible for the studio setup, which involved a limited production crew and artist team following social distancing and mask protocols. According to a brand spokesperson, the Black Eyed Peas only removed their masks for the performance, while a guitarist and drummer wore masks off to the side of the stage.
The entire Black Eyed Peas concert is available to view on Budweiser’s YouTube channel, including a replay of the viewer chat.
Budweiser plans to announce more headliners for the series on its social channels in the coming weeks.
