Budweiser chatbot for fans from 50+ countries

For the 2018 World Cup, we built Budweiser a platform where football fans could follow their national team, test their football knowledge, predict match results and win prizes. It worked in three languages across four messaging apps, with users from more than 50 countries. We also took full responsibility for running it throughout the tournament.

A reason to come back every day

Budweiser wanted to stay part of the football conversation throughout the tournament, so fans needed a reason to return each day. The chatbot began by asking which team they supported, then sent news about that team, match schedules and reminders.

We added games alongside the football: daily quizzes, polls and match predictions. Correct answers earned points, regular prize draws offered cases of Budweiser and match tickets, and fans could use promo codes to take part in promotions. There was always something to return for: check a prediction, answer new questions or try to win the next prize. Budweiser could keep engaging with the same fans throughout the World Cup, through a conversation about football that they chose to join.

Three languages, four apps, one platform

Fans watched the World Cup around the globe, and people from many countries travelled to Russia for the matches. The platform worked in English, Spanish and Russian, through Facebook Messenger, VK, Telegram and WhatsApp. Fans chose their language and preferred app; Budweiser ran one international campaign with shared games and promotions.

Messaging apps support different features. One can display buttons, cards and carousels; another may require a text reply. Build those differences into the game itself, and every new quiz needs several versions, all of which must stay in sync.

We separated the game logic from the messaging apps. The platform held the shared rules, content and user data, while an adapter layer handled how to display each step and collect the answer in each app. We could build a quiz or prediction game once, then prepare its text in three languages. Changes to the shared logic reached every channel, and adding another language or app did not require a separate product.

The same game worked in three languages across four messaging apps, adapted to what each app could do.

From the chat to the nearest bar

Fans could also use the chat to find somewhere serving Budweiser. After receiving their location, the bot found the nearest bar, calculated a route and sent a map showing the way. This worked in Russia, the UK and other countries, with venue details regularly updated from the client’s data.

The campaign now extended beyond the phone. Someone already chatting with the brand about football could get help with a practical question: where to go. For Budweiser, this connected engagement in messaging apps with places selling its beer, with directions available right in the conversation.

The World Cup won’t wait

A campaign built around a tournament runs to a fixed schedule. When a match starts or a prize draw opens, users may arrive all at once. If the platform fails to respond, a later fix cannot bring that moment back.

We designed for an audience of millions and handled the full operation: servers, scaling, monitoring, backups and messaging integrations. Our responsibility ran from implementing the games we had designed together to keeping them available throughout the tournament.

The platform successfully served the World Cup campaign, with fans from more than 50 countries taking part in all three languages and across all four apps.