Budweiser Canada Wants You To #TapeOutHate In Latest Campaign

Budweiser Canada continues to be a brand that is on the forefront of conversations that are important to Canadians. As part of their latest move Budweiser Canada is working with the Hockey Diversity Alliance (HDA) and is now the official partnership with the launch of #TapeOutHate.  This new campaign supports the HDA’s ongoing mission to eradicate racism in hockey – both on and off the ice – with a specific and simple call to action to #TapeOutHate.

The #TapeOutHate campaign was inspired by HDA members’ collective and personal experiences in dealing with race, and the role that it continues to play in hockey. As part of the campaign two-minute video (below) was created that will rally fans of the sport across the country to take a stand against racism.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b0Ur4qN6i5I

“Budweiser has a long history of supporting hockey, and as a brand that believes this game is for us all, we recognize the obligation we have to continue to learn and evolve with the game to make it better for generations to come,” said Mike D’Agostini, Senior Marketing Director, Budweiser Canada. “The goal of #TapeOutHate is to educate, raise awareness and spark meaningful conversations about intolerance in the sport, and encourage Canadians to collectively become allies in the evolution of hockey culture.”

While social media is a huge asset to brands looking to share a message, Budweiser Canada  and HDA have designed a physical roll of hockey tape featuring words of support and solidarity from fans, and players. One dollar from every roll of #TapeOutHate hockey tape will go towards the HDA and its mission to eradicate racism in hockey. Due to exceptionally high demand, tape available at shopbeergear.ca sold out within six hours of the campaign launch. We are actively working to restock shopbeergear.ca in advance of #TapeOutHate hockey tape becoming available across the country at Canadian Tire starting January 22, 2022.

“I was ten years old when an opposing team member’s parent called me a racial slur on-ice for the first time,” said Akim Aliu, founding HDA member and NHL Alumni. “This month marks 64 years since the first Black professional hockey player – Willie O’Ree – made his NHL debut, and yet, acts of racism towards Black players remain prevalent at all levels of the sport. By showcasing a snippet of the real, lived experiences of racism the BIPOC community faces when trying to play a game that we love, we hope to inspire a groundswell of change, because racism has no place in hockey.”

The murder of George Floyd in May 2020 was a big wake up call to society as the world saw first hand the stark reality of racial inequality in society, this is also what led to the formation of the HDA. Since its formation in 2020, the HDA has worked tirelessly to shed light on the harsh reality of discrimination and racial inequalities that exist in hockey culture. Budweiser Canada recognized the importance of not shying away from long overdue conversations and an obligation to learn more about becoming an ally for the BIPOC community.

Budweiser Canada is committing to ongoing amplification of the HDA’s mission via the #TapeOutHate campaign in several ways, including:

• Encouraging Canadians to support the #TapeOutHate movement by sharing the campaign video and/or using the hashtag on social,
• Leveraging Budweiser’s marketing, partnerships, social and media buying platforms to amplify the HDA’s messages and #TapeOutHate campaign, and
• Leveraging Budweiser’s presence as one of the world’s most influential sports marketers to encourage other brands and sponsors to address and confront racism in sports.

Agencies behind the Budweiser Canada #TapeOutHate Campaign

• Public Relations: Veritas Communications [Veritas Communications]