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During the 2021 season Taylor Heinicke became an American football sensation. Everyone on social media was talking about his meteoric rise and his unique name—a wide-open opportunity for one beer brand to secure an endorsement deal. But after getting radio silence from ‘that other beer brand,’ Bud Light—the official beer sponsor of the NFL and a brand to never shy away from some fun—was quick to hijack the moment. Working with the NFL and the Washington Football Team, Bud Light responded to Heinicke’s press conference plea with a ‘Ready and waiting’ tweet, resulting in over 4,000 likes and 500 retweets in a matter of minutes. Then, just 48 hours later, Bud Light officially signed Heinicke to its NFL Roster. The brand and Heinicke put out a series of fun content across their social platforms to drive and amplify conversation. The official announcement came via Heinicke’s personal Instagram featuring a personalized #BudLighticke pack, which put a new spin on the brand’s limited-edition “For the Fans” packs (designed for league teams and signed players ahead of the 2021 season). This content was shared across all brand platforms, letting fans know that Heinicke should be called ‘Taylor #BudLighticke from now on.’ And, thus, a legend was born. Washington fans and media alike immediately celebrated their QB’s new nickname and Bud Light’s fast action, earning 159 million media impressions and 1.1 million digital impressions in just a matter of days (with 99% overall positive sentiment), demonstrating fans’ love and loyalty for the brand—with one fan even sporting a homemade #BudLighticke jersey at a game that week! Overall, Bud Light’s quick action further cemented itself as the brand that’s there whenever and wherever there are fans, sports, and good times to be had.