Excuses

Client: Budweiser

Canadian men admit they’re seeing their friends less and making excuses more. According to Budweiser’s Friendship Study, 75% of men report hanging out less often, with nearly half confessing to bailing on plans. For Budweiser, a brand built on bringing buds together, this presented an opportunity to deepen its meaning around one of Canada’s most unifying rituals: hockey night.

One insight unlocked the idea: 1 in 4 men would be less likely to bail if their friends publicly called them out. Enter The End of Excuses, a first-of-its-kind campaign that handed over Budweiser’s national hockey media buy to fans, empowering them to roast their excuse-making friends live on air. In partnership with the National Hockey League and Rogers Media, the activation unfolded on March 29, a marquee regular-season night featuring all seven Canadian NHL teams. Fans submitted over 10,000 real excuses, which were then amplified across national TV spots, in-game features, arena takeovers, digital OOH, and social in near real time. By transforming mass media into a platform for friendship accountability, Budweiser reinforced its role at the center of hockey culture, proving that making time for the game means making time for your buds.