Anheuser-Busch
BLIZZARD BREW
2025 was the final season for Highmark Stadium. The Bills are not only saying goodbye to their home of 53 seasons, they are also saying goodbye to one of their most beloved traditions. Shoveling snow. The new Highmark has a canopy, so fans will no longer need to shovel out the stadium seats.
As the official beer of the Buffalo Bills, we needed to celebrate the end of a beloved Buffalo tradition and Highmark Stadium’s final season in a big way. We created Blizzard Brew, a limited edition Bud Light brewed with actual snow from Orchard Park, only available in the Buffalo area.
CREATIVE DIRECTION | ART DIRECTION | COPYWRITING | STRATEGY | PACKAGE DESIGN | OHH | SOCIAL MEDIA | POCM
The CAN
The first step to making Blizzard brew was to collect the snow from Orchard Park. We tracked storms and were prepared when the first snowfall of the 2025 season hit the Buffalo area. We collected the snow and purified it. Then we added it to the rest of the limited edition Bud Light brew. For the packaging, we wanted to do something special to honor the history of the Bills. We took inspiration from the classic Bills helmet. Turned our can white and added the Bills’ iconic helmet strip to the top and bottom of the can. The Bud Light logo turned blue. We added the double racetrack to the Bud Light logo to further play off the uniform design. Finally, we added the Anniversary logo to replace our crest, and a custom brewed with line.
THE LAUNCH
In early December, we launch Blizzard Brew on social. For the launch video, we created an epic movie trailer-style video where we build tension with music and great shots of the snow collection process, until at the very end we reveal the cans. We strategically had the Bills lead all conversation here to reach the most Bills fans possible. It worked and got picked up by a plethora of local and national outlets, caused a storm on social, and blew up group chats all across Bills Mafia.
Then, to keep the momentum, we gave the fans an inside look at the brewing and canning process, as well as some meme content that fits perfectly with the Bud Light tone of voice. Then, in the week of the final game at Highmark, we released an anthem video narrated by the voice of the Bills, Chris Brown. This told the full story of the history of shoveling the stadium and the story of Blizzard Brew itself. With the goal of getting Bills fans even more excited for the last game and the limited-edition Bud Light.
THE TAILGATE
Every Bills game knows that game day starts hours before kickoff in Hammers lot tailgating with all of the Bills Mafia in frigid conditions. So we took over Hammer’s lot with a massive tailgate open to all of Bills Mafia.
We constructed a massive bar and sculpture of a Blizzard Brew made completely from snow. This bar not only welcomed every fan into Hammers lot but also was where fans could get their hands on Blizzard Brew for the first time. To get fans even more excited, we brought in Bills icon, Andre Reed to be our bartender. He handed out beers, signed autographs, and interacted with every fan, making the Blizzard Brew bar a can't-miss at the Bills’ final tailgate at Highmark.
Throughout the tailgate, we had a content crew capture all of the fun events, and even interviewed fans about what Blizzard Brew and the last game at Highmark meant to them. We then compiled all the footage for a social sizzle about the event and then used this content in our award show case study video.
The final game
Blizzard Brew took over Highmark stadium during its last game. We converted all of our beer stands to sell Blizzard Brew, and before halftime we sold out. After the first quarter, we had a jumbotron takeover where the anthem video was played and even had a shout-out during the TV broadcast. With Blizzard Brew selling out at halftime, we gave fans a second chance on Monday to grab their pack in stores. In the end, Blizzard Brew became more than a beer; it became a symbol of Bills tradition, and ingrained Bud Light into the memory of every Bills fan.
