We curated screenings for our consumers in India, offering them a premium experience for the World Cup: AB InBev India's Vineet Sharma

The FIFA World Cup 2022 finally saw Argentinian legend Lionel Messi lift the trophy after a nail-biting final, marking the end of a successful tournament. Aside from an organizational point of view, the success of the world's biggest football event can be attributed to its off-the-pitch partners.

One of those partners is Budweiser, which has spent the better part of nearly four decades being part of the tournament.

Sportskeeda caught up with Vineet Sharma, vice president of Marketing & Trade Marketing, AB InBev India, as he spoke about Budweiser’s association with the tournament, pre-tournament obstacles, and fan interactions, along with other details.

---

AB InBev India's VP, Vineet talks about India's deep connection with football

Budweiser has had a deep association not just with the FIFA World Cup, but with several other high-profile football tournaments, including the FA Cup, English Premier League, and La Liga.

Speaking on Budweiser’s deep connection with football, AB InBev India's vice president, Vineet said:

"I think our partnership has just gotten stronger with each passing year and we believe that football and the FIFA World Cup is an accurate reflection of who we are as a brand, and as a company. We try to bring people together to create occasions that are memorable."

Ahead of the World Cup, Budweiser began its promotional campaign. From August 13, coordinates leading to prize boxes were revealed to fans who scanned exclusive Budweiser QR codes. The QR codes were shared on Budweiser and the athlete's partner's social accounts earlier this week, spurring curiosity and excitement among fans.

The QR codes appeared in specific locations commemorating Messi, Neymar Jr., and Sterling; each revealing the story of their journey from eager amateurs to present-day superstars.

India has had a special connection with the Qatar World Cup in particular. From displaying cardboard cutouts of Messi, Ronaldo, and Neymar, to massive crowds coming together to witnessing the matches on large screens, there has been no doubt about the popularity of football in the country.

Speaking about the connection and how Budweiser has capitalized on the football craze, Vineet said:

"In India, we did it in Bombay, at antiSOCIAL, one of our partner outlets. We had over 200 plus people literally waiting outside the outlet to enter and then find those boxes. Ultimately, five lucky winners had an opportunity to win tickets to the FIFA World Cup, and everyone present there was given some exclusive goodies."

Budweiser collaborated with several celebrities, including Siddhant Chaturvedi, Masaba Gupta, Santanu Hazarika, and KissNuka for the latest leg of the FIFA 2022 campaign, to celebrate the shared passion and spirit of Budweiser for the campaign “The World Is Yours To Take.”

Also, to make football more relatable to the Indian audience, Budweiser joined hands with VICE to uncover the history of Indian Football and the 1950 FIFA World Cup in a three-part series called ‘The Indian Football Story – The World Is Yours To Take’.

Budweiser was also involved in providing a satisfactory consumer experience during the World Cup. On the initiative, Vineet said:

"We curated a lot of screenings for our consumers in India, offering them a very premium experience for the World Cup. We had screenings across six cities for the finals. We are also taking some key consumers to the Bud Hotel in Doha. It is a curated experience that we have for our consumers, where they can not only enjoy the game of football, but meet a lot of international influencers together."

Budweiser released the official FIFA World Cup Anthem “The World Is Yours to Take” in collaboration with global star and rapper, Lil Baby. Speaking about this, the vice president of AB InBev India added:

"This track in particular highlights the excitement and anticipation that you have when you're on the path to greatness. You know you're going to achieve it. But you're also just having that experience of, you know, butterflies in your stomach. That's the background of this track in particular, and how this track was inspired."

Beer sales at the eight stadiums hosting the tournament were banned by the Qatar World Cup organizers just two days before its commencement last month. Before the competition started, Budweiser pledged to provide a huge supply of beer to the country that would win the World Cup.

In a thrilling final on Sunday, Lionel Messi's Argentina stole the limelight against France to lift the coveted trophy after 36 years.

Budweiser has been a World Cup partner since 1986 and reportedly paid $75 million for its sponsorship this year.