Victoria Bitter ‘beats Apple to market’ with launch of live cricket scoreboard watch
Victoria Bitter will kick off its traditional cricket-themed summer marketing drive by giving away watches that will deliver live scores from the test matches and the Cricket World Cup to wearer’s wrists, Mumbrella can reveal.
The watch will link to smartphones via an app and provide updates of the progress of Australia during their four test series against India, the one-day series with England and South Africa and the one day World Cup, which starts in February.
General manager of craft, cider and global brands at Carlton United Breweries, Craig Maclean said VB “has beaten Apple to it” by launching such wearable technology into market. Six thousand watches will be up for grabs, 5,000 of which can be won by buying a case of VB and entering a code on the website, while 1,000 will be earned by “super loyal customers” who purchase 10 cases of VB.
The campaign follows on from its cricket-themed marketing drive last summer when VB gave away mini scoreboards.
Maclean told Mumbrella: “We have beaten Apple to it. They will launch their iWatch next year and we are launching the VB live cricket watch now.”
He said the multi-million dollar, multi-platform campaign, which will include the launch of TV ads next week and has been created by Clemenger BBDO Melbourne, will follow previous themes by positioning VB as the “big cold beer of cricket”.
“With the test series against India followed by the World Cup this will be Australia’s biggest ever summer of cricket and VB wants to ensure hard working Aussie drinkers don’t miss a moment,” Maclean said.
“Last year’s scoreboard was our biggest ever campaign but the live watch will take it to the next level.”
The watch will vibrate when batsmen score a four or six while the VB theme tune will play when there is a major event such as a wicket or a player notches up a century. It will also remind workers “to knock off work for a big cold beer”.
Maclean said 4,500 entries have already been received within 24 hours of launch and with little promotion.
“We had 400,000 entries last year but we hope to beat that this time around,” he said.
“Our objective is to provide a better cricket experience for Australians and we also want to make sure it results in an uplift in volume of sales, gets high engagement from consumers and gets significant cut-through in the market. We have built a reputation of having really high engaging promotions and we believe this will be bigger and better than ever.”
The technology has been developed by Zinc with the campaign 12 to 18 months in the making, Maclean added.
Steve Jones
It also plays the VB tune apparently
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A VB-themed watch. That’ll have the ladies swooning.
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They also claim that they make good beer. Don’t believe a word they say!
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like a lot
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This raises my expectations and I am now hoping to see VB Glass next summer. Literally beer goggles.
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But…if I have to have my phone, why wouldn’t I just look at my phone?
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Ok… I really like the concept and it does take the Boonie and Warnie dolls up a notch or two…. But “Beaten Apple to it”…???
I can see them now clearing their creative white boards and cancelling the launch of the iWatch.
Oh and they didn’t beat Pebble, Sony, LG, Samsung to it. They are celebrating being 2nd last to market.
This would have been a great concept launch except for that one mis-advised sound bite.
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Dick Tracey drinks VB – true!
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I’m hoping Apple will beat VB in making a beer that’s actually drinkable.
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Must. Have. One. Now.
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Hey Doug – why so serious?
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This is so stupidly awesome. Perfect product for a sport / beer promo
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Amazing idea. I’m not a cricket fan, but to have the opportunity to check scores as if you were checking the time, genius!
People cant be at work on their phones all day, this is great thinking.
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I think it’s just about perfect.
Doug – you can’t see they’re having a laugh at your expense? Not you personally, but people who care about wearable tech?
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Doug & Jarryd – lighten up [Edited under Mumbrella’s content moderation policy]
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Will they work with an Android phone
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looks like a great idea just won one so will see how it goes
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I’ll never buy a vb again. 6000 up for grabs? That’s bullshit. It’s a joke.
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the watches should be available to buy on their own, people will buy vb regardless of the watch promotion, with people like me who don’t drink, i do not want to have to wait to win one’
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