Intention
The Fifa Women’s World Cup 2023 saw Budweiser serve as an official partner of the tournament for the first time, but the beer brand wanted more than just logo presence – it sought to earn a place in women’s football culture.
Our brief at PACE was to create a digital-first property that would feel authentic to the tournament, celebrate the players, and make Budweiser visible in a meaningful, football-led way.
The client’s objectives were as follows:
- Position Budweiser as an integral, credible part of women’s football – not just a “men’s football brand” showing up for one tournament.
- Create a repeatable, daily format that could live across Fifa and Budweiser channels during the World Cup.
- Drive global reach and engagement around key matches, moments, and talent – especially rising stars and underdog stories.
- Prove that a sponsor-branded content series can add value to fans, federations and players while delivering strong visibility and media impact.
Idea
To meet these objectives, we created Budweiser “Spotlight of the Day” – a daily content franchise shining a light on standout moments, players, and teams throughout the tournament.
Instead of generic highlight reels, each Spotlight celebrated a clear story: historic goals, first-timers on the big stage, breakout performances, and underdog nations punching above their weight.
The strategy was three-pronged:
- Anchor Budweiser in emotion and performance, not product.
- Make it feel like a genuine football accolade fans could get behind.
- Design a production system that could run in near real time on packed matchdays.
To execute against this strategy, we built and approved the full format – concept, branding, templates and workflows – in under six weeks.
All told, we produced around 50 video and static assets during the tournament, turning daily match action into polished Spotlights.
- Used a streamlined operation: daily cross-timezone check-ins, fast feedback loops and modular templates for motion, stats and storytelling.
- Published across Fifa and Budweiser social channels (Instagram, Facebook, Twitter/X), plus Stories to drive traffic into the main video posts.
- Enabled federations and associations (e.g. the Philippines FA) to co-share Spotlights and spotlight “their” heroes, boosting organic reach and local relevance.
Impact
Budweiser “Spotlight of the Day” turned a first-time partnership into a visible, value-adding presence across the tournament’s digital ecosystem.
On Fifa channels alone, the series delivered:
- 27M+ video views
- 62M+ impressions
- 550K+ interactions
The format quickly became a recognisable daily touchpoint for fans following the tournament storylines. Associations, teams, and players amplified the content on their own channels, extending Budweiser’s reach into highly engaged, local football communities.
The campaign undoubtedly delivered against the objectives – and at speed:
- From initial idea to full rollout in less than six weeks, we proved the format was not only creative but operationally robust for a major tournament.
- Budweiser gained a credible narrative role in women’s football by celebrating moments and players rather than leading with product messaging.
Ultimately, the repeatable format and strong engagement metrics provided a clear proof of concept for sponsor-branded, social-first storytelling in women’s football – setting a benchmark for future tournaments and collaborations.
Find out more about PACE here.