Budweiser

In 2014, Budweiser set out to make MLB Opening Day a national holiday. Not through lobbying. Through a WhiteHouse.gov petition. Hall of Fame shortstop Ozzie Smith launched the campaign from St. Louis Cardinals Spring Training, pitching the idea directly to fans: collect 100,000 signatures and the Administration would respond. AKQA, as Budweiser's digital agency of record, designed the entire campaign — the hub, posters, display ads, social strategy, and the official petition on WeThePeople.gov.

The petition worked. It surpassed 100,000 signatures, earning an official response from White House Deputy Press Secretary Josh Earnest. He was sympathetic — admitted that creating permanent federal holidays was up to Congress, but appreciated the pitch. He even took the moment to visualize his Kansas City Royals winning the 2014 World Series. (Spoiler: they didn't. They lost.) Time covered the campaign, recognizing the ambition behind it. The work sparked genuine national conversation and proved that the right idea, executed well, could get a response from the highest office in the land. If you love baseball, Opening Day is basically a holiday. We just tried to make it official.

100,000 signatures
Response from the White House

Times, NY Times, Creativity-Online,
ESPN, Fox Sports