Tag Archives: Sports Marketing

Budweiser 0.0 Celebrates ICC T20 World Cup Campaign “In the Hands of Fans”

Budweiser 0.0 has kicked off its partnership with the International Cricket Council (ICC) by unveiling ‘In the Hands of Fans, campaign that marks the first chapter of the brand’s association with the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026. The campaign sets the tone for a season of culture-first, fan-led experiences across India.  The campaign puts the spotlight on the fans who cheer, believe, celebrate, and turn every match into a memory.

Commenting on the launch, Vineet Sharma, Vice President – Marketing & Trade Marketing, AB InBev India, said, “Cricket in India is fueled by its fans, in stadiums, in homes, in pubs and in all the places where the game is watched together. With ‘In the Hands of Fans’, we’re celebrating the iconic moments that define the game of cricket and the people who bring those moments to life. As we begin our association with Cricket, Budweiser 0.0 is bringing alive culture-first experiences across multiple cities of India, creating a fresh fan-first outlook that is set to make this campaign an international trendsetter.”

Rolling out as a pan-India, youth-focused campaign, ‘In the Hands of Fans’ will be driven by a nationwide media and on-ground activations, bringing Budweiser 0.0’s ICC journey to life across homes and social spaces. The campaign is powered by a 360-degree activation plan spanning fan-first screening experiences, strong creative idea, media takeovers, immersive, culture-led partnerships and limited-edition packaging through the duration of the tournament.

In nearly two decades, Budweiser has become India’s leading premium beer brand, making the country its third-largest market globally, outside the US. Backed by AB InBev’s brewing heritage and focus on high quality offerings, the brand has consistently tapped into India’s growing demand for premium and sessionable beers.

AB InBev and International Cricket Council Sign Global Partnership

AB InBev and the International Cricket Council (ICC) have signed a global partnership. Starting in 2026, AB InBev will be the Official Beer Partner for all major ICC tournaments. The partnership will be led by Budweiser 0.0, Budweiser’s no-alcohol beer in India, with other ABI mega brands activating in Europe and Africa.​

From attending a match live in-stadium to watching one at a bar or pub with friends, with a lower alcohol-by-volume (ABV) and no-alcohol options like Budweiser 0.0, beer is the natural choice to enjoy responsibly. Through this partnership with the ICC, AB InBev will create more moments of cheers, choice and celebration for cricket fans of legal drinking age all over the world.​

Cricket is one of the world’s most loved sports with more than two billion fans and ICC events are its largest platforms for passion, while AB InBev has been at the forefront of creating experiential activations to grow and deepen fandom,” said Sanjog Gupta, CEO of the ICC. “This partnership is a natural alliance between organisations striving to elevate moments, create memories and deliver experiences via innovation in avenues for fan engagement. We welcome AB InBev to the ICC’s august list of commercial partners and look forward to co-delivering multi-modal event experiences across our tournaments and amplifying excitement for the sport around the world. We look forward to working together to create unforgettable match-day experiences and amplify the exuberance of cricket in countries all around the world.”​

The partnership between the ICC and AB InBev reinforces how beer and sports are better together by offering consumers of legal drinking age more balanced choices for more occasions.​

“Cricket is one of the world’s most popular and fastest-growing sports, and we are excited to connect with fans on this mega platform,” said Marcel Marcondes, Global Chief Marketing Officer of AB InBev. “Beer is the beverage for socialisation and moderation, and our partnership with the ICC provides another occasion for our brands to create unforgettable experiences for consumers everywhere.”​

The partnership includes all major ICC men’s and women’s events through 2027 including the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 in India & Sri Lanka, the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 in the UK, the inaugural ICC Women’s Champions Trophy 2027 in Sri Lanka, the ICC World Test Championship Final 2027 in England and the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2027 in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia.