Anheuser-Busch Turns to Social Media to Send 500 Fans to the Daytona 500

Kevin Harvick races his No. 4 Busch Light Ford during the 2017 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Season. (Photo via Motor Racing Network)

It’s still early in 2018, but Busch Beer has launched one of NASCAR’s most unique promotions for the biggest race of the season. Just what is Anheuser-Busch doing to kick off the 2018 NASCAR season? They’re sending fans to the Daytona 500. That’s right, lucky winners will go to the Great American Race, NASCAR’s Super Bowl, the race that every driver dreams of winning. But how do they get there? 

Busch is taking center stage with this promotion as it has chosen to use NASCAR to help meet its marketing needs, while many other brands in the same category have gone a different route with their marketing efforts.

“The Daytona 500 is the biggest race of the year, so we’ve decided to make ‘500 to the 500’ our biggest promotion of the year,” said Chelsea Phillips, Vice President of Value Brands at Anheuser-Busch. “It’s the race that kicks off the whole season, and the lead up to the Daytona 500 makes it one of the most anticipated events in all of racing. It’s the Super Bowl of racing. The weather will be warm, the Busch will be cold, and Kevin Harvick will be out front. We’ll get to enjoy all of it with 500 of our most passionate fans.”

Fans need to be on the lookout for one of two varieties of checkered cans. (Image from True Speed Communications)

The brand plans to send 500 fans to the Great American Race (Sunday, Feb. 18). Launched in late December 2017, the promotion allows fans to enter for a chance to win a trip (with a friend) to the Daytona 500. Entering is simple. Fans just need to follow these simple guidelines:

• Find a single specialty marked checkered-flag Busch can in either 18, 24 or 30 packs of Busch or Busch Light.
• Take a photo or video celebrating like you’ve just won the 500. Don’t just celebrate, but celebrate with the can. Go crazy, show your enthusiasm. Be creative.
• Share your photo or video on social media (Instagram or Twitter) with the hashtag #BuschtoDaytona and #contest. In order to win, social media accounts must be public.

Two hundred and fifty lucky winners will be chosen and allowed to bring a guest. It’s an all-expenses-paid trip. Travel, lodging, meals, and tickets are covered. The only thing winners have to pay for is any gear they choose to buy. You can bet the winners will be supporting the Busch brand and Kevin Harvick, driver of the No. 4 Busch Beer Ford for Stewart-Haas Racing.

According to Busch, “It’s Daytona done right.”

It will certainly be an unforgettable night, but with 500 of the biggest Busch fans in attendance, Harvick knows that a win would take the party atmosphere to a whole new level.

“With 500 of our biggest fans at this year’s Daytona 500, a win just might make for the biggest victory party Daytona has ever seen,” the 2007 Daytona 500 winner stated.

This isn’t the first time that Busch has launched a promotion around one of NASCAR’s biggest races. Last May, in advance of the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series All-Star race at Charlotte Motor Speedway, the company gave NASCAR fans one million reasons to root for Kevin Harvick.

If Harvick took the checkered flag in the All-Star event, one lucky fan would win $1 million just like Harvick. Unfortunately, Harvick didn’t win the event and the selected fan (who watched from the top of Harvick’s pit box didn’t win $1 million).

“Busch Beer is always doing over-the-top things to give back to NASCAR fans,” said Harvick. “Whether it’s winning a trip to the Daytona 500 with a friend, putting hunting or finishing promotions together around a race or the chance to win $1 million at the All-Star race in Charlotte. I’m fortunate to be part of a brand that comes up with creative ways to have fun and celebrate their history in racing and the passions of their fans.”

This piece has been presented to you by SMU’s Master of Science in Sport Management.