Award: CAMPAIGN \ C28. PR Event

In its 18th year of promoting responsible drinking, Budweiser China reimagined “Cheers” for a new generation of young adults. While in English “Cheers” simply signals a toast, “Cheers” in Chinese is read as “ganbei” (literally “bottoms-up”), thus often pressures people to finish drinks, driving over drinking in high-energy social settings.

To challenge this, we turned every toast into a celebratory moment with the Cheers Badge, an interactive sticker on bottles that plays “cheeeers” and “no bottoms-up” when glasses clink. This transforms pressured gestures into a joyful, shareable, and socially accepted experience.

University students acted as ambassadors, activating Cheers Badges in real drinking occasions. Localized audio and visual content reflected dialects, festivals, and city-specific themes, engaging young adults across China.
By redefining “cheers” in-context, we sparked conversations, eased over-drinking pressure, and demonstrated how smart drinking can make social moments more enjoyable with more “cheers”.