Australia’s Victoria Bitter (or VB for short) responded to one of the most controversial moments in Ashes History by brewing “England Bitter”: a special beer that was sent directly to a bitter English Cricket team.

With no sponsorship rights or media money invested in the 2023 Ashes, England Bitter disrupted the 2023 Ashes landscape giving fans a new way to interact with VB outside the traditional channels. The activation / stunt gave VB the most earned media in the brands 170-year history, in just 72 hours.

Situation:

In Cricket there’s no bigger stage than The Ashes – a 142-year old sporting rivalry between the Australian and English cricket teams. But when a controversial umpiring-decision went Australia’s way in the 2023 series it became the most talked about cricket-moment in recent memory. And if you’re English: one of the most whinged about. In fact, they were so bitter, they went as far as refusing to have a beer with the Australian team after the series – a tradition as old as The Ashes themselves.

Brief:

Let’s show our support for the Australian Cricket team, and stick it to the bitter Poms.

Objectives:

Get Australia and the world talking about VB

The Ashes are Cricket’s biggest event – a 142-year-old tradition seeing the Australian and English Cricket teams play for a tiny trophy called ‘The Urn’. Steeped in tradition, lore, and a fierce rivalry, for two weeks nothing matters more to the two countries than The Ashes. Despite the bravado, and often hostile atmosphere on the pitch, The Ashes also carry a more wholesome tradition. Because for the last 142 years, after the match both sides have gathered in the dressing rooms for a commemorative beer. But that changed in 2023.

Taking advantage of a grey area in Cricket’s rules, a savvy 'stumping’ by Australia became the most talked about cricket-moment in recent memory. And if you’re English: one of the most whinged about. Without going into the details, the completely legal action had England questioning Australia’s integrity, character, and commitment to ‘the spirit of cricket’ - which is rich, coming from the country who literally wrote the rules they accused Australia of exploiting.

But even more outrageous, was the English team refused to have a beer with Australia after the series.

As a major sponsor of the Australian Cricket team for the best part of its 170-year history Victoria Bitter holds deep ties to the values and culture around Australia and its love for cricket, simply put; Australia wouldn't be Australia without Cricket, and Cricket wouldn't be Cricket without VB.

With our Cricket team under fire: it was up to VB to go into bat for our boys.

THE IDEA:

Refusing to have a beer with an Aussie goes beyond rudeness. It’s flat-out bitter.

So to stick it to the bitter English, and all their talk, we got to work and brewed a beer to match their mood.

England Bitter

Playing off England’s penchant for room temperature ales, their reputation for “whinging” and VB’s tagline “the big cold beer, for a hard-earned thirst” became “the big warm beer for a hard-earned whinge.”

And despite not paying a cent in sponsorship money; we were the most talked about brand throughout the Ashes series.

STRATEGY:

With no sponsorship rights or media money invested in the 2023 Ashes, VB needed to disrupt the 2023 Ashes landscape and interact with fans outside the traditional channels. We knew if we showed up with action rather than words Australia would get behind us.

So, we decided to turn England’s resentment and bitterness into an opportunity.

Key message: England Bitter: The Big Warm Beer, For A Hard-Earned Winge.

Within 24 hours, VB had production of England Bitter rolling.

Announced with a single post on our own social accounts, the project was picked up by media outlets in Australia, England and around the world.

Within 48 hours, cases of England Bitter were delivered to the English team’s dressing room, social media posts organically trending, a print ad in the UK papers, shirts printed and a team on the ground in the UK handing out merch at the next Ashes match.

Within 72, hours every major news outlet in Australia had picked up the story and we had reached over 23 million people... that’s over 90% of Australia.

And despite not paying a cent in sponsorship money; we were the most talked about brand throughout the Ashes series.

Giving VB the most earned media in the brands 170-year history, in just 72 hours.

In terms of engagement and PR, England Bitter was the most successful campaign in VB’s history.

With minimal media spend, we turned England’s resentment into an extraordinary opportunity for an iconic Australian brand. And despite not paying a cent in sponsorship money; we were the most talked about brand throughout the Ashes series. Most importantly, the Poms would eventually fail to win back the Ashes, giving them something else to be bitter about: The rain.

23.5 Million impressions

$4.5 Million in earned media

1391% organic social engagement VS benchmark

Highest Levels of Social Engagement in VB’s 170 year history

30,000 cases of England Bitter beer ordered

Ashes Retained

For the better part of 170 years VB has been the major Alcohol sponsor of the Australian Cricket team at The Ashes, giving the brand building deep, long lasting cultural ties with the sport and its national team. Simply put; Australia wouldn't be Australia without Cricket, and Cricket wouldn't be Cricket without VB. But in 2023, a shift saw VB unable to sponsor the team in The 2023 Ashes series.

With such deep ties to the team and what it means to the country we knew standing up for our boys, the nation and its values was our only option.

Despite no sponsorship rights or media money invested in the 2023 Ashes, England Bitter disrupted the 2023 Ashes landscape giving fans a new way to interact with VB outside the traditional channels – giving VB the most earned media in the brands 170-year history, in just 72 hours.