Budweiser’s Tweet-Powered Knitbot Campaign, another great example of social media participation unlocking IRL experiences

Posted on by Perfectporridge in Armchair Marketing, Creativity and Innovation

Social media participation campaigns that trigger a real-world outcome are extremely compelling in world of disposal likes, retweets and video views.

Although it’s downright impossible to connect wearing a holiday sweater with being a designated driver, this new phygital campaign from Budweiser (client) is the latest real-world extension of social participation.

Building on new holiday sweater in-store display and holiday packaging, Budweiser UK extended the campaign into digital/social by building the Knitbot, a tweet-powered knitting machine—to knit ugly sweaters for designated drivers that pulls #jumpersfordes tweets to power the machine (as Adweek explains, jumper being British for sweater, and des being short for designated drivers).

This is an idea reminiscent of GE’s Social Fridge at SXSW 2010 that unlcoked with 10 Foursquare Checkin-ins.

One extension I would like to see is having the actual tweets woven into the sweater, and mailing a tweet-powered sweater to one follower a day.

Regardless, kudos to the BW UK team for thinking outside of the loom on this one.

Published by Perfectporridge

Greg crafts creative strategies for brands rooted in consumer insights, creative technology, PR, social platforms, content strategy, and the cultures that knit them together.