It’s finally happened; you can actually send a beer to your friend through a mobile app. Facebook users are prompted on their News Feed to give their buddies a free Bud to add to their Happy Birthday wishes or buy a Budweiser beer for friends to celebrate other events. Right now, Buds for Buds and Bud Light Birthday is available only for those 21 and over in Denver and Chicago, but will be available nationwide.
When a friend sends another friend a Bud, an online voucher is sent to the recipient. They can cash in the voucher in-person at a local bar or eatery after showing a state-issued ID to verify they are legally old enough to drink. Anheuser-Busch Vice President of Consumer Connections Lucas Herscovici said,
“Beer is the original social network. This new campaign focuses not on a gift certificate or credit, but on bringing people together to celebrate life’s most anticipated moments. Whether you’re toasting your birthday, a job promotion, an engagement, or simply the end of a long work week, we want to encourage everyone to bridge the physical and digital worlds by allowing you to send your friend a beer over Facebook.”
Anheuser-Busch is no stranger to spreading brand recognition through digital media. A study in 2012 conducted by Facebook and Datalogix discovered that Bud Light ads reach 20% of U.S. households and pull significant returns on ad spending. Budweiser’s commercial, “Puppy Love,” was the most shared Super Bowl ad on Facebook with more than 1.3 million shares.
No downloads are necessary to participate in the Buds for Buds program. Facebook users who click the News Feed are sent to a specialized mobile or desktop site to send or claim a beer. Gratafy, a Seattle-based company, handles gift sending and redemption.
Featured image via flickr/Yusuke Kawasaki
