Budweiser Releases First Rise As One Global TV Spot as Anticipation Builds for the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil™

NEW YORK, March 17, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Budweiser, the official beer sponsor of the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil™, today revealed the next components of its fully integrated, global content series as part of the brand's Rise As One FIFA World Cup™ campaign, beginning with the digital debut of their first 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil™ television advertisement entitled, Believe As One.

Centered around the Rise As One thematic which honors the moments that unite football fans worldwide, Believe As One captures the spirit of anticipation now building around the world as fans and players eagerly look ahead to the FIFA World Cup™ tournament, and will air in markets globally as excitement for the tournament continues to grow. 

Believe As One is the first of two new FIFA World Cup™ advertisements by Budweiser, and was filmed in black-and-white to truly highlight the passion and pride for the sport that unites fans around the world, irrespective of the team they support.

"Football is unique in its ability to unite fans all over the globe and its unifying power is never more evident than when the world comes together during the FIFA World Cup™," said Andrew Sneyd, Global Vice President, Budweiser. "Through the Rise As One campaign and our new spot Believe As One, Budweiser showcases the passion and building anticipation shared by fans and players the world over." 

Budweiser Heroes: From Across the Globe and in your Community 
Budweiser celebrates football heroes that exist not only on the global stage, but also in local communities around the world. Now, Budweiser Heroes, a new partnership with VICE will highlight the real-life stories of individuals who have made a significant impact in their community and how their love of football transformed the lives of everyday people.

Beginning today, fans are encouraged to submit stories about their own football hero who has gone the extra mile to do something truly game changing for his or her teammates or community through their love of the sport. Fans that enter can rally support for their stories by sharing on their social networks and asking others to vote. 

Winners will be chosen by the brand to all receive an all-expenses paid trip to the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil™, tickets to a football match and a three-day stay at the Budweiser Hotel in Rio de Janeiro.*  To celebrate these heroes and give them the recognition they deserve, Budweiser and VICE will also create a short film of the winners to further showcase their individual stories.

In addition to the stories submitted by fans around the world, Budweiser and VICE are creating a series of short digital episodes that follow the same campaign thematic and will tell five incredible and inspiring contemporary stories from around the globe. They are:

• From Brazil, "Football is Believing" – a highly competitive form of the sport played by blind and partially-sighted athletes and this film follows as one of the top teams in Brazil tries to pull a new player out of isolation.
• In Koh Panyee, a tiny island floating off the coast of Thailand, a group of football-crazed fisherman encountered a unique problem in that there was no land to play the beautiful game. This short explores how a group of friends came up with an idea that would eventually spawn one of the most successful football clubs in southern Thailand.
• Situated in the Darfur region in Eastern Chad, the Djabal Refugee Camp is home to six tribes, many of whom have been in conflict for centuries.  Darfur United is the first team ever established to represent the region in international sports. 
• This film explores the growing grassroots football sub-cultures developing in unexpected places in China.  Follow one of Beijing's most prestigious independent teams to a Naxi village in the rural southwest to see what happens when old and new China mix on the pitch.
• In Texas, we follow the best amputee footballers in America as they come together for tryouts and the team's first training camp in hopes of representing their country in the Amputee Football World Cup.

Available to view on www.RiseAsOne.com, these digital shorts will serve as inspiration for the "Budweiser Heroes" program which will focus on fan-submitted stories exploring how football sparks heroism and brings people and communities together for altruistic pursuits.

For more details on Budweiser's creative content series and the Rise As One campaign, visit www.RiseAsOne.com.

*Terms & conditions apply.  Fans, and the heroes they nominate, must be of legal drinking age in their country of residence.  For full details and contest rules, and to enter, please visit www.RiseAsOne.com

About Budweiser & Football
Budweiser has a strong commitment to football globally, having served as official beer sponsor of the FIFA World Cup™ for over 25 years, and with an ongoing commitment through the 2018 and 2022 tournaments. 

About Anheuser-Busch InBev
While Budweiser will serve as the official beer of the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil™, Anheuser-Busch InBev will once again leverage its portfolio of beers around the world by extending local sponsorship rights to its leading brands in select football markets, including Brahma (Brazil), Harbin (China), Corona (Mexico), Jupiler (Belgium and The Netherlands), Siberian Crown (Russia), Hasseroder (Germany) and Beck's (Italy), among others. 

Anheuser-Busch InBev is a publicly traded company (Euronext: ABI) based in Leuven, Belgium, with American Depositary Receipts on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: BUD). It is the leading global brewer and one of the world's top five consumer products companies. Beer, the original social network, has been bringing people together for thousands of years and our portfolio of well over 200 beer brands continues to forge strong connections with consumers. This includes global brands Budweiser®, Corona® and Stella Artois®; international brands Beck's®, Leffe®, and Hoegaarden®; and local champions Bud Light®, Skol®, Brahma®, Antarctica®, Quilmes®, Victoria®, Modelo Especial®, Michelob Ultra®, Harbin®, Sedrin®, Klinskoye®, Sibirskaya Korona®, Chernigivske®, and Jupiler®. Anheuser-Busch InBev's dedication to heritage and quality originates from the Den Hoorn brewery in Leuven, Belgium dating back to 1366 and the pioneering spirit of the Anheuser & Co brewery, with origins in St. Louis, USA since 1852. Geographically diversified with a balanced exposure to developed and developing markets, Anheuser-Busch InBev leverages the collective strengths of its more than 150,000 employees based in 24 countries worldwide. In 2013, AB InBev realized 43.2 billion USD revenue. The company strives to be the Best Beer Company in a Better World. For more information, please visit: www.ab-inbev.com

SOURCE Budweiser