Even with all its PR ingenuity it would have been difficult for the creative minds connected to Forest Green Rovers to dream this one up.
Keen to associate itself with the Gloucestershire football club’s environmental credentials, and win a few publicity points, beer giant Budweiser parked a billboard in Forest Green car park declaring its allegiance fighting climate change.
But, the club had just signed a three year partnership deal with Scottish craft beer maker BrewDog – also known for its climate conscious DNA – and it led to an amusing social media exchange which chased the major US brand out of town.
‘Wassup, @BudweiserUK. Really sorry guys, but we’re already taken! You know what they say – Lost Lager is the King of Beers. Are we right, @BrewDog?’ was the amusing response on Twitter from the club’s official account, along with an image of the Budweiser billboard.
Lost Larger being the name of BrewDog’s ‘crisp pilsner craft beer’.
?? Wassup, @BudweiserUK. Really sorry guys, but we're already taken!
— Forest Green Rovers (@FGRFC_Official) April 21, 2021
?? You know what they say - Lost Lager is the ???????? King of Beers. Are we right, @BrewDog?#WeAreFGR ?? pic.twitter.com/jok7M3R6FH
In what was, no doubt, a nod towards the football club’s close links to Stroud green energy company Ecotricity, Budweiser’s advert read: ‘Forest Green Rovers We Salute You. There is only one way to toast the world’s greenest football club.
‘And that’s with a Budweiser, brewed using 100 per cent renewable electricity. Consider this a sponsorship deal.’
Those who know Forest Green Rovers and its owner, Dale Vince’s penchant for publicity, might suspect a stunt was afoot, but the response from all on social media suggests otherwise.
Ben Lockwood, on trade marketing manager at Brewdog, summed it up in a LinkedIn post: ‘We had some fun on Twitter. And laughed a lot. I think the truck was LOST.’
Will Guyatt, so often the brains behind campaigns for Forest Green, Ecotricity and Mr Vince, seemed equally shocked, amused and full of praise for those at the Nailsworth club who had used social media to generate the friendly banter – albeit at Budweiser’s expense.
‘Shout out to Conor Shaw, Sam Vince and Big Noah (Noah Dougherty) for absolutely owning this weird chain of events on social media. There’s sure to be beers from BrewDog and James Watt on the way,’ said Mr Guyatt, on his own social media account.
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