How Michelob Ultra got John McEnroe to play himself
Michelob Ultra needed to find a way to reverse the falling sales of light beer. It needed its old heartland audiences to re-engage and boost consideration amongst them - so it reached out directly with a unique offer.
Context
Michelob Ultra is the second biggest beer brand in the US, despite struggles for the light-beer category which have seen sales fall annually over the past decade.
Objectives
- Increase purchase intent for Michelob Ultra amongst the target audience (ESPN viewers and/or sports fans)
- Drive sales during the campaign window and event duration
Strategy
The idea originated in the insight that it's easy for athletes to forget to enjoy themselves. Michelob Ultra wanted to remind people that joy is not an afterthought. It partnered with tennis legend John McEnroe, as a famous example of someone whose emotions and volatility got in the way of enjoying his sport, by using tech to allow him to play a real match against himself, with the world’s first human v. digital tennis match broadcast on ESPN.
Execution
Consumers responded to a CRM callout to watch the event, and a VIP premiere hosted press and influencers. Digital trade, influencers, social media and PR were all used to encouraged people to tune in for the match. Meanwhile, McEnroe was body-scanned and motion-captured playing tennis, then Unreal Engine powered the ‘virtual’ McEnroe to respond in real time to physical gameplay.
Results
Sales of Michelob ULTRA were up 15% due to in-match promotions and the match was talked about in 52 countries. ESPN offered one hour of free media – calculated to be worth $20m.
The campaign earned over three billion impressions (10x original target), and between April and July 2022 Michelob ULTRA saw a 28% purchase intent lift among ESPN viewers.
The work
