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Drinks · Campaign proposal

Castle Lager: a mobile home for cricket, rugby and soccer fans.

A proposed mobile data strategy for Castle Lager: a data-free sports platform with news, live scores and score predictions, sports trivia, friend-challenge games and till-slip rewards, running from 1 June 2025 to 30 January 2026.

  • Data-free mobile platform
  • Live sports content
  • Score predictor
  • Sports trivia
  • Friend-challenge games
  • Till-slip rewards
  • Stadium and fan park activations
Platform run
8 months
Sports
3
Trivia questions
150
Game matches a day
6
A venue TV during live rugby, framed by a Castle Lager squeeze back with a bottle and can, a QR code and the line: Scan to take part. Not for persons under the age of 18. Enjoy responsibly.

QR code that opens this Castle Lager page on hellobrand.co.za.

The Castle Lager mobile site on a phone: Play and Win, tap to kick the ball through the goal posts, with a Play Now button.

A campaign proposal by Hello Brand for Castle Lager (AB InBev, SAB). Nothing here has run yet, so there are no results.

Not for persons under the age of 18. Enjoy responsibly.

The brief

Castle Lager asked for a strong, always-on way to gather and enrich consumer data, with clear targets for each campaign period, prizes that encourage people to share more about themselves, and a plan to re-engage its consumer database to build affinity and loyalty.

Castle Lager already spoke to a large base of sports fans. The task was to give them a reason to come back every week, through the cricket, rugby and soccer seasons, and to turn each visit into something the brand could learn from: who they are, what they follow and how they buy.

Run
1 June 2025 to 30 January 2026
Sports
Cricket, rugby and soccer
Access
Data-free (reverse-billed) mobile site
Sign in
Google or Facebook, verified cell and email
Till slips
1 October 2025 to 30 January 2026
Who it is for
Sports fans of legal drinking age, 18+

The idea

Castle Lager key art: a bottle and a can of Castle Lager on torn white and red paper, with the line The taste that's stood the test of time.

One mobile home for cricket, rugby and soccer.

One Castle Lager mobile platform, free to use on data, where fans follow their sport and earn points for everything they do. Weekly games and trivia bring them back, friend challenges bring in new players, till slips link the fun to purchases, and activations at stadiums and fan parks feed the same leaderboard.

  • Bespoke audience segmentation for each campaign
  • An always-on data acquisition and engagement component
  • Clear acquisition and enrichment targets per campaign period
  • Prizes that drive data collection and enrichment
  • Retargeting and re-engagement of the consumer database
  • Stronger brand affinity and loyalty

Always on: a sports hub in the pocket

The platform is reverse-billed, so fans use it without spending their own data. Always-on sports content gives them a reason to open it every day; the games, polls and rewards give the brand a reason to hear from them.

Always-on content

  • News and updates
  • Fixtures
  • Live scores
  • Live commentary
  • Player profiles
  • Team rankings

Ways to earn and stay in touch

  • A live leaderboard
  • Points and credits for polls and surveys
  • Till-slip uploads
  • Check-ins and a score predictor
  • Weekly emails with match results
  • Friend invites and in-app messages

Ways in

Fans arrive from a friend's QR code, an in-app message, a weekly email or a stadium activation, then sign in with Google or Facebook and verify their cell number and email address.

  • Refer friends screen: Get 2 Free Plays, with a QR code to share and a Share button.
    A friend's QR codeBoth get two free plays.
  • In-app notifications about free plays, the selfie draw and the free sports channel.
    In-app messagesNew chances to win.
  • Pop-up offering free sports news and updates brought to you by Castle Lager, with a Take Me There button.
    Free sports newsBrought to you by Castle Lager.
  • Stadium challenge screen: knee bounce challenge with a Start button.
    At the stadiumRegister to take on a challenge.

The fan's journey, start to finish

Play, strike a pose, kick at the posts, win, share, then keep coming back all season: the proposed journey in twelve screens, all in the phone's browser.

At the bar: play and win

  1. Tap to playFans scan in and land on Play and Win: tap to kick the ball through the goal posts for the big win. Castle Lager Play and Win screen: a rugby player kicking at the posts and a Play Now button.
  2. Strike a poseFans upload a selfie with a bottle of Castle Lager for a prize draw. Castle Lager Strike a Pose screen: a hand holding a phone with a selfie, and an Enter Now button.
  3. Kick at the postsTap the ball to kick at the posts and reveal a prize. Castle Lager Kick and Win screen: a rugby ball in front of goal posts and a Kick Now button.
  4. Win a prize to claim at the bar“Congratulations! You have won a case!” The fan takes the code on screen to the bar to redeem the prize. Congratulations screen: You have won a case, with a case of Castle Lager and a code to take to the bar.
  5. Upload the selfieThe fan takes the picture with a Castle Lager in hand and submits it to enter the draw for a chance to win. Strike a Pose upload screen: upload your selfie to enter the draw for a chance to win, a Submit button, a phone showing a man holding a Castle Lager with a Take Picture button, and a Castle Boktown is back banner.
  6. Refer a friendShare a QR code with a friend; when they join, both get two free plays. Refer friends screen: Get 2 Free Plays, with a QR code to share and a Share button.
Castle Lager Play and Win screen: a rugby player kicking at the posts and a Play Now button.
Step 1 of 6

All season long

  1. Capture the till slipBought Castle Lager at a liquor store? Snap the till slip and submit it: a six-pack earns 15 points, a case 100, double on Fridays. Capture Till Slip screen: a photo of a liquor store till slip for two Castle six-packs, and a Submit button.
  2. Play the weekly sports triviaTen new picture questions a week per sport, such as “Name the stadium?”, with 20 seconds on the clock. Trivia game screen: a partly hidden stadium picture, reveal buttons that cost points and five stadium answers.
  3. Challenge a friend in the season's gameCricket, then rugby, then soccer: six matches a day, three against random opponents and three as challenges to friends. The cricket game: a batter in green and gold at the crease, a bowler running in, and three target spots on the pitch.
  4. Get in-app messagesPop-ups and notifications announce new chances to win: free plays, the selfie draw and the free sports channel. In-app messaging screen with notifications about free plays, the selfie draw and the free sports channel.
  5. Learn a brand factShort brand facts sit between them, such as the ice-cold lagering at -1°C behind Castle Lager's refreshing taste. Did You Know pop-up: Castle Lager is brewed using an ice-cold lagering process at -1°C.
  6. Follow free sports newsFree news, fixtures, live scores and team rankings arrive from Castle Lager. Pop-up offering free sports news and updates brought to you by Castle Lager, with a Take Me There button.
Capture Till Slip screen: a photo of a liquor store till slip for two Castle six-packs, and a Submit button.
Step 1 of 6

A game for every season, and what fans could win

Three friend-challenge games follow the calendar: cricket from June, rugby from August, soccer from September. Each player gets six matches a day, three against random opponents and three as challenges to friends who are not yet registered, so every challenge can bring in a new player.

  • The cricket game: a batter in green and gold at the crease, a bowler running in, and three target spots on the pitch.
    CricketPick where the ball lands and how it moves.
  • A phone held sideways showing the rugby game: an attacker running at defenders across a field marked with target spots.
    RugbyFind a way through four rows of defenders.
  • A phone held sideways showing the soccer game: a ball on the penalty spot in front of a goalkeeper and a goal split into zones.
    SoccerFive penalties, four zones, power-up cards.
  • Trivia game screen: a partly hidden stadium picture, reveal buttons that cost points and five stadium answers.
    Sports triviaTen new questions a week per sport.

What fans could win

  1. Instant, in the game A win screen showing a case of Castle Lager. A case of Castle Lager

    Kick and win reveals the prize, with a code to take to the bar.

  2. The draw Strike a Pose

    Upload a selfie with a bottle of Castle Lager to enter a draw filled with prizes.

  3. For sharing 2 free plays each

    For the fan who refers a friend, and for the friend who joins.

  4. For everything else Points and credits

    For polls, surveys, till slips, trivia, games and stadium challenges, all on one leaderboard.

Every mechanic, in detail

Seven proposed mechanics, each with its own window in the season, and each adding points to the leaderboard and data to the consumer base.

Till-slip rewards4 months

From 1 October 2025 to 30 January 2026, fans photograph their till slip in the app. The platform reads the outlet, store, product, date, time and receipt number, and awards points that grow with the pack size: 2 points for a 340 ml, 15 for a six-pack and 100 for a case of 24, with double points for purchases on a Friday.

The proposal expected this to encourage repeat purchases, show Castle Lager's commitment to its customers, and reveal how people buy, to shape future campaigns.

Weekly sports trivia15 weeks

From 6 October 2025 to 19 January 2026, fans answer picture questions such as “Name the stadium?” and “Name the player?”. There are 50 questions for each of cricket, rugby and soccer, released 10 a week per sport in random order. Each question starts at 20 points, with 20 seconds on the clock and a point lost every second. Revealing more of the picture costs 2 or 5 points. New questions each week bring players back, and they can share their score on social media.

Trivia game screen with reveal buttons and five stadium answers.
Cricket friend challenge16 weeks

From 9 June to 29 September 2025. The bowler picks where the ball lands (left, centre or right) and whether it curves, goes straight or bounces; the batter tries to read it. Outcomes play out with animated feedback, then the roles reverse. A friend has 24 hours to accept before a random opponent takes their place.

Rugby friend challenge16 weeks

From 11 August to 1 December 2025. The field is split into four rows; the attacker picks a spot in each row to find a way through, and the defender places two players per row to block. Then the roles reverse.

Soccer friend challenge16 weeks

From 29 September 2025 to 18 January 2026. The goal is split into four zones; the player takes five penalties and the opponent guesses the zone. Power-up cards change the odds: an extra zone kick, a double kick (two zones, while the opponent sees only one), double points and a points save.

Strike a Pose and Kick and Win

Fans upload a selfie with a bottle of Castle Lager to enter a prize draw, then tap the ball to kick at the posts and reveal an instant prize, claimed at the bar with a code. The last step is sharing to social media.

Messages, referrals and the always-on hub

Fans refer friends with a QR code, and both get free plays. In-app pop-ups and notifications announce new chances to win, free sports news and updates arrive from Castle Lager, and short brand facts sit between them. Weekly emails, match results and friend invites keep the conversation going, while news, fixtures, live scores, commentary, player profiles and team rankings keep the hub worth opening.

At Castle Corner and the fan parks

At Castle Corner in stadiums and at fan parks, fans take on rugby, soccer and cricket challenges and post live content as they go. To take part they register on the mobile platform, and they earn points and tokens according to their score, so the day out feeds the same leaderboard.

Activation photos: inflatable kicking targets, a cricket batting net, a pop-up cricket pitch, a branded soccer target wall, a table game and a player kicking at a target net.

The challenge screens

Each challenge runs for 60 seconds on a screen at the activation. The fan swipes a wristband to submit the score.

  • Knee bounce challenge start screen: bounce the ball on your knee, each bounce 10 points, time limit 60 seconds.
    1. StartKnee bounce: 10 points a bounce.
  • Knee bounce challenge countdown showing 60 seconds.
    2. Sixty secondsThe clock runs on screen.
  • Knee bounce challenge result: total bounces 23, swipe your wristband to submit your score.
    3. SubmitSwipe the wristband to bank the score.
  • Toe bounce challenge: with both hands on the floor, bounce the ball on your foot, 10 points a bounce, 60 seconds.
    Toe bounceHands on the floor.
  • Dribble challenge: dribble the ball through the cones, 10 points a cone, 60 seconds.
    DribbleThrough the cones.
  • Strike challenge: kick the ball into the targets, earn up to 1,000 points, 60 seconds.
    StrikeUp to 1,000 points.
  • Header challenge: bounce the ball on your head, 10 points a bounce, 60 seconds.
    HeaderKeep it up with your head.

What we proposed

Play every week. Learn every visit.

This is a proposal, so there are no results yet. These are the data targets and measures it set out for 2025.

The proposal's data targets for 2025

New consumer records (target)
50,000
Records enriched (target)
30,810
Consumer base, 2025 target
502,932, up from 452,932 in 2024
Enriched records, 2025 target
271,583, up from 240,773 in 2024

  • Data acquisition and enrichment

    • Pacing of acquisitions and enrichment in each campaign period
    • Verified cell numbers and email addresses
    • Prizes that drive data collection

  • Purchases

    • Repeat purchases
    • Brand loyalty
    • Insight into how customers buy

  • Engagement

    • Weekly returns for new trivia questions
    • Friend challenges that bring in new players
    • Scores shared on social media

Castle Lager dashboard

What it will measure

8 months · sample

Example dashboard Sample data, not campaign results. This was a proposal, so there are no results. Everything tagged Sample is made up to show how the dashboard works, and is replaced by real figures once they are reported.

  • Sample

    46,318

    New consumer records

  • Sample

    28,947

    Records enriched

  • Sample

    11,236

    Repeat purchases (till slips)

  • Sample

    64,815

    Friend challenges sent

Data acquisition and enrichment

  • Sample

    46,318

    New consumer records

    New fans signed in with Google or Facebook. Proposal target: 50,000

  • Sample

    28,947

    Records enriched

    Existing records with new answers from polls, surveys and games. Proposal target: 30,810

  • Sample

    39,560

    Verified cell numbers and email addresses

    New records with both the cell number and the email address verified

  • Sample

    1,274

    Prizes that drive data collection

    Instant cases and Strike a Pose draw prizes won

New consumer records, month by month (running total)
Records enriched a month
Pacing of acquisitions against the target

of the 50,000 new-record target reached

Purchases

  • Sample

    11,236

    Repeat purchases (till slips)

    Till slips from fans who had uploaded one before, October to January

  • Sample

    18,742

    Till slips uploaded

    All till slips read and accepted

  • Sample

    21.4%

    Brand loyalty

    Till-slip fans who uploaded three or more slips

Till slips uploaded a month
Insight into how customers buy: slips by pack
  • 340 ml 38%
  • Six-pack 44%
  • Case of 24 18%
Slips bought on a Friday

of till slips earned double points

Engagement

  • Sample

    41.3%

    Weekly returns for new trivia questions

    Trivia players who came back the next week, over the 15 weeks

  • Sample

    64,815

    Friend challenges sent

    Challenges to friends across cricket, rugby and soccer

  • Sample

    7,903

    Friend challenges that bring in new players

    Friends who registered to accept a challenge

  • Sample

    5,264

    Scores shared on social media

    Trivia and game scores shared from the platform

Friend challenges sent, by game
Friend challenges within 24 hours
  • Accepted by the friend 38%
  • Passed to a random opponent 62%

Rand values excl. VAT. Figures tagged Sample are for illustration only: not results from this or any campaign.

Next step: a season plan with Castle Lager, then the first game live with the cricket season.

Next: our 2026 World Cup proposal

The beer behind the boys.

In April 2026 we followed up with a new proposal for the football World Cup: a two-month takeover of 175 bars, taverns and restaurants, every one with Wi-Fi and TV screens linked to one Castle Lager mobile campaign. It builds on the platform above. Like the 2025 plan, it is a proposal, with no results yet.

Map of South Africa with the proposed venues as dots in three hubs: the Economic Spine with 65 venues in the north, the Coastal Hub with 55 in the south, and the Frontier Hub with 50 in the east.
Venues
175 mainstream and urban On Trade outlets
Run
Two months, for the length of the tournament
Three hubs
Economic Spine 65, Coastal Hub 55, Frontier Hub 50
Way in
A bucket of four Castle Lagers, one per player

The aim: move Castle Lager from fans watching to fans taking part, and make every kick, every bucket and every prize trackable in real time, at the bar and on the phone.

What we proposed

  • Concept render: friends in football shirts cheer around a Castle Lager foosball table in a bar, bottles of Castle Lager in hand.
    Regional foosball tournamentsBuy a bucket of four, play on a table with a digital scoreboard linked to the campaign, and build towards a national play-off. Venue owners compete too: the best outlets earn permanent branding and better media kits.
  • Concept render of a fan park: a Castle Lager promoter beside a kiosk, and a red target wall with scoring holes worth 50 to 500 points and a diving goalkeeper.
    Fan park challengesHeader Hero, knee-bounce streaks and target-wall kicking. Fans swipe an RFID wristband to bank each score, earning points towards cash and hamper prizes.
  • Concept render of a VVIP lounge with Castle Lager branding on red walls, white leather chairs and stacked Castle Lager crates.
    VIP locker roomsPop-up rooms for 100 to 150 guests (20 to 30 in the VVIP version). Winners get tickets for themselves and five friends.

The 2026 passport, screen by screen

  1. Register onceFans sign up with a name, date of birth, gender and mobile number, and verify to play. Castle Lager register screen with first name, last name, date of birth, gender and mobile number fields and a Register button.
  2. Check in wherever they areA restaurant, a bar, a liquor store, a festival or a fan event: each check-in adds to the fan's tournament. Castle Lager check-in screen with tiles for restaurant, cafe, supermarket, festival, kiosk, bar or pub, liquor store and trail run event, and a Check in button.
  3. Predict the scoreBefore each match, call the winner and the score; the right team and a close score each earn points and credit. Score prediction screen: two fixtures with national flags and score boxes, and a points and credit calculation for the winning team and a close score.
  4. Collect the badgesLegend, Streak Master, Social Star and Top Referrer reward the fans who keep coming back. Badges screen with Legend, Streak Master, Social Star and Top Referrer badges.
  5. Climb the leaderboardBuckets, six-packs, kicks and predictions all score on one leaderboard for the length of the tournament. Leaderboard screen listing eight sample players with their photos and points.
Castle Lager register screen with first name, last name, date of birth, gender and mobile number fields and a Register button.
Step 1 of 5
The Castle Lager mobile site: Play and Win, tap to kick the ball through the goal posts, with a Play Now button.
Kick and win, on the phone.

A virtual World Cup passport

One profile tracks each fan's tournament. Scan a till slip or take a kick at the goal to earn points and prizes, with scores, news and free tickets along the way.

In store, too

A display stand for liquor stores, with a light-box screen and side arms holding 144 cans, invites shoppers to scan and win instantly at the point of purchase. Six-packs earn points on the same passport as buckets in the bar.

The next step

We proposed a three to six month pilot across 175 taverns, bars, restaurants and stores for Castle Lager, Castle Lite and Carling Black Label: a custom SAB-branded app, live dashboards for the marketing, brand, trade and activation teams, and return-on-investment reporting.

Stories that used the same services, or worked in the same sector.

  • Drinks

    Heineken Silver

    A proposed launch for Heineken Silver: a rugby kick game, a selfie draw and friend referrals, and an in-store playbook, with prizes claimed at the bar.

  • Hospitality

    Starbucks

    A proposed Instant Rewards Loyalty App for Starbucks in South Africa: stars for purchases, Coffee Spot check-ins, photo challenges and surveys.

  • Drinks

    Ballantine's

    A Ballantine's On Trade promotion offering a free mixer and an instant prize to guests who connect on Wi-Fi or scan a QR code and answer one brand question.