Budweiser launches epic “crowdsurfing” campaign with Jackson Wang and OneRepublic
Not all heroes wear capes… some of them carry coolers of ice-cold Budweiser instead. In a celebration of music, beer and unwitting stars of the show, InBev brand Budweiser has launched an epic new campaign for the Chinese market which shines a spotlight on a shy music fan – capturing his thrilling crowd-surfing journey from the shadows to the stage.
Launching across Greater China, the new campaign – created by Africa Creative DDB – promotes Budweiser’s partnership with pop star Jackson Wang and US rock act OneRepublic, ahead of their upcoming musical collab.
The campaign is led by an epic 70 seconds film, Crowdsurfing, which 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.
Directed by Henry Scholfield through international production company HAMLET, the film opens on a packed concert venue. As lights flash and the anticipation builds in the audience, rock band OneRepublic (of Counting Stars fame) prepare to join pop star Jackson Wang on stage to debut their new track – but disaster strikes when they discover the on-stage cooler is empty, and the ice-cold Buds are on the other side of the crowd.
The spotlight falls on Xiaowang – a fan in the crowd – as he is charged with an epic task: to bring the beverages to the stage. Thus begins the ultimate crowd-surfing journey full of near-misses and dramatic twists, as he is sent in the wrong direction, gets separated from the precious cargo; and almost dropped before being caught by the crowd in a near-miss moment. His antics are even captured on live TV – much to his mum’s surprise. Finally, mission accomplished, he joins the band on stage to crack open a couple of cold ones.
Shot in Scholfield’s signature cinematic style, the film brings choreography to chaos, 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 says: “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
Title: Crowdsurfing
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
Producer: Ash Lockmun
Producer: Patty Tsai
Line Producer: Carina Hsu
Production Manager: Winson Wang
Production Manager: Russell Hasenberg
Stills Producer: Lin Lu
1st Ad (Shanghai): Jim Cole
1st Ad (LA): Todd Thompson
DOP: Daisy Zhou
VFX Supervisor: Barry Greaves
Production Designer: Alex Delgado
Casting Director: Liu Sha Sha
Hero-Talent: ShiZhiTIan
Production Designer: A Liang
Stunt Coordinator: Hai
Service production LA: London Alley Entertainment
EP: Luga Podesta, Brandon Bonfiglio, Andrew Lerios, Sandy Haddad, Matthew Kauth
Producer: Holly Harding
Prod. Manager: Alex Randall
Prod. Coordinator: Elisbaeth Makitalo
Talent Coordinator: Asia Gold
Postproduction VFX company: Heckler
EP: 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
