Two key groups of people are imperative to the success of Budweiser: Californians and Latinos. When it comes to entertainment marketing, these two groups are also the perfect targets.
The movie César Chávez honors the man who fought for Latino farmworkers’ rights in the United States. As an official sponsor of the film, Budweiser had an excellent opportunity to reinforce Latinos’ longstanding relationship with the brand.
InsightWith Hollywood being the entertainment capital of the world, it’s no surprise that Californians are avid moviegoers. California has the highest number of moviegoers in the nation and the largest number of frequent moviegoers.
Less well-known, however, is the impact Latinos are having on the movie industry. According to Nielsen, Latinos are the most important moviegoing segment in America, going to more movies than any other group, including Caucasians. They represent 18 percent of the moviegoing population, but account for 25 percent of all movie sales. Latinos are also the only demographic group that went to more movies in 2012 than in the prior year.
Although Latinos attend more movies than anyone else, they are the least represented on-screen. Across the 100 top-grossing films in 2012, Latinos were the most underrepresented group, with only 4.2 percent of speaking roles. It should come as no surprise, then, that Latinos are hungry for relevant content, especially when it comes to movies.
SolutionInstead of hosting a red carpet-style Hollywood premiere event, Conill arranged something far more powerful. Budweiser held a special screening in a field, at the place where César Chávez started his quest for social justice—the national historic landmark known as "The Forty Acres.” The VIP guests were the real heroes of the story: 1,100 farm workers, some of whom fought alongside Chávez.
The workers, all of whom were over the age of 21, were surprised with a unique VIP movie experience including gifts, snacks, and ice-cold Budweisers. This was followed by an appearance by Michael Peña, Rosario Dawson and Director Diego Luna, along with the people who played an important part in the movement like Dolores Huerta and Helen Fabela Chávez.
In addition to all of the PR garnered by the event, the screening was documented and turned into branded content for promotion in different social media channels.
ResultsIn just a few hours, the event was covered by national and international media, generating more than 10 million earned media impressions. It was shared in every social media channel by celebrities, the people who attended the event, and every major association supporting American farmworkers.
