Not all heroes wear capes… some of them carry coolers of ice-cold Budweiser instead. Budweiser has launched a heartwarming celebration of music, beer and the unwitting stars of the show, featuring a shy music fan and his thrilling crowd-surfing journey from the shadows to the stage.
The campaign, created by Africa Creative DDB and launching across Greater China, promotes Budweiser’s partnership with pop star, Jackson Wang, and US music group, OneRepublic, ahead of their upcoming musical collab.
The campaign is led by an epic 70-second film, Crowdsurfing, directed by HAMLET director, Henry Scholfield, that revolves around the synergy between the music artists and the fans in the crowd. One fan, Xiaowang, goes to a momentous effort to deliver liquid sustenance to the thirsty music legends on the stage.
The film is shot in Scholfield’s signature cinematic style, bringing choreography to chaos and drawing the viewer into the heart of the action with a combination of Steadicam shots and drone footage. An integral part of Xiaowang’s journey, the camera drifts through a sea of arms and raised Bud bottles, hovers high above the action, and zooms in on a glistening golden pour.
Although music has featured in many of Budweiser’s previous campaigns, this new campaign spotlights specific partnerships with artists. The track in the film is a mash-up track between One Republic’s Counting Stars and Jackson Wang’s single, Buck, from the newly launched album, MAGICMAN 2.
The campaign will run across all major media platforms and domestic TV in Greater China, including Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan.
Yimeng Zhang, managing partner and executive producer Hamlet China, stated, “Bringing this campaign film to life has been an immensely rewarding journey. Over the course of three months, the project became a testament to global collaboration, uniting teams across five time zones and three languages. With shoots in both Shanghai and Los Angeles, every detail was crafted with passion and precision. The long nights and hard work invested by everyone involved have culminated in a showpiece we are truly thrilled to unveil.”
Credits
Client: Budweiser
Artists: One Republic, Jackson Wang
Agency: Africa Creative DDB
Executive Creative Director: Rafael Freire
Group Executive Producer: Tais Olhiara
Account Supervisor: Giulia Guedes
Associate Creative Director: Fernando Rihan
Executive Producer: Estela Pereira
Account Director: Silvia Brihy
Production Company: HAMLET / KODA
Director: Henry Scholfield
Executive Producer: Yimeng Zhang
Producers: Ash Lockmun & Patty Tsai
Line Producer: Carina Hsu
Production Manager: Winson Wang
Production Manager: Russell Hasenberg
Stills Producer: Lin Lu1st Ad (Shanghai): Jim Cole
1st AD (LA): Todd Thompson
DOP: Daisy Zhou
VFX Supervisor: Barry Greaves
Service Production LA: London Alley Entertainment
Executive Producers: Luga Podesta, Brandon Bonfiglio, Andrew Lerios, Sandy Haddad, Matthew Kauth
Producer: Holly Harding
Post-production VFX: Heckler
Executive Producer: Lily Li
VFX: Barry Greaves
2D VFX Supervisor: QiuCheng
CG Lead: Sam Schwier
Colour: Rascal Studios
Colourist: Tim Smith
Producer: Jai Mhach Durban
Audio Post Production: String & Tins
Producer: Claire Toms
Sound Design & Mix: Will Cohan
Additional Sound Design: Kaspar Broyd
