Natural Light gives away 'Dorm From Home' with social media contest

Brief:

Anheuser-Busch beer brand Natural Light is offering college students a chance to win a mobile dorm room as the coronavirus pandemic leads to campus closures nationwide. The "Dorm From Home" can be parked in a backyard or driveway, giving a student a sanctuary equipped with a flat-screen TV, miniature refrigerator, video gaming system and a $180 gift card to buy Natural Light beer, per an announcement shared with Mobile Marketer.
For a chance to win the mobile dorm, entrants need to be 21 or older and follow Natural Light's accounts on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter. Entrants must post a photo with an explanation of why they need the private refuge and include the #DormFromHome and #Contest hashtags in the caption, per contest rules.
Natural Light will select a winner based on the most creative and convincing argument that reflects the brand's personality and values. The entry deadline is Aug. 18, after which Natural Light will notify the winner and deliver the mobile dorm for the winner to keep.

Insight:

Natural Light's latest stunt campaign aims to reach college students who are heavy users of social media and who face the possibility of spending the fall semester at home. U.S. colleges and universities have developed a mix of reopening plans, with only about 2.5% saying they will allow students to attend classes fully in person, according to a running tally by the Chronicle of Higher Education. The remainder of schools will offer a mix of online and in-person attendance, meaning that many college students will spend the semester away from campus, possibly stuck at home with their parents. Natural Light can connect with those frustrated students through its "Dorm From Home" campaign on social channels.

The campaign is Natural Light's latest effort to connect with college students who have reached drinking age. In May, the brand sponsored a virtual commencement on Facebook Live to lift the spirits of students who missed out on in-person graduation ceremonies during the pandemic. The celebration was hosted by actress and activist Amanda Cerny, and featured speakers including Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban, actress Jane Lynch, sports commentator Stephen A. Smith and Barstool Sports CEO Erika Nardini. The commencement was one of the first signs of how Natural Light revamped its marketing during the pandemic to reach homebound college students.

Before the health crisis, Natural Light's campaign efforts aimed at college-age adults tended to focus on relatable concerns like student debt or getting a first job. The brand in February ran its third annual campaign for the Natty Light College Debt Relief Program that donates $1 million to graduates who need help paying student loans. Last year, the brand created a YouTube campaign to find a summer intern that starred its brand manager in a humorous video calling on new college graduates to apply. The "Dorm From Home" campaign has a similar lighthearted tone as college students cope with the stress of missing out on the campus experience.