Budweiser Canada is hosting a weekend of all-nighters later this month, but it’s not the type of party you might associate with the brand.
Budweiser is on the hunt for new ways to reduce the number of impaired drivers on the road, and it’s asking teams to present their solutions during its “Tackle Impossible” hackathon in Toronto.
the beer brand has partnered on the initiative with the technology school BrainStation, which will host the hackathon Jan. 29, 30 and 31. That weekend teams will come up with ways to make roads safer, then present them to a panel of judges for the chance to win $25,000 in investment capital and a trip to South by Southwest Interactive to present their idea to another panel of experts.
According to Nick Skotidas, brand manager at Budweiser Canada, the parameters for the contest are wide open. He said the winning idea could be an app, an ad campaign or a new product – as long as it addresses drunk driving and road safety, it’s eligible to win.
“We’re leaving it open. We don’t want to restrict the participants in any way,” Skotidas said. “I think hackathons are really a forum for inspiration and emerging ideas, so we thought this would be the perfect avenue to get those ideas from millennials.”
The brand is advertising the hackathon online on its social accounts and worked with its PR agency, Veritas Communications, to enlist technology influencers such as Amber Mac and 30 Under 30 alumna Erin Bury to promote it to their audiences.
The “Tackle Impossible” campaign is also being supported via a social media buy, handled by UM, including ads on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube.
Skotidas said the company expected between 120 to 150 people to attend the event.
The hackathon marks the kick-off to Budweiser’s global anti-drinking and driving campaign for 2016. This spring, the brand will host another hackathon in the U.S., and there are plans for similar events under the “Tackle Impossible” banner later this year in other markets. The brand’s 30-second spot promoting the Toronto event, created by Anomaly‘s New York office, will be adapted and used for the international campaigns.
Budweiser has a history of advocating against drunk driving in its marketing campaigns. In 2013 it launched #ThankABud, a salute to designated drivers as a heroic figure. The brand also spearheaded the Good Sport initiative; a partnership with several sports teams including the Winnipeg Jets and the Calgary Flames that encourages sports fans to act as a designated driver at live events.
