From a Gangnam Station pop-up to viewing pubs — participatory program 'Wide Cup'

Consumers watch a South Korea national football team match together at a Cass Viewing Pub. [Provided by OB Beer]
Consumers watch a South Korea national football team match together at a Cass Viewing Pub. [Provided by OB Beer]

Cass announced Monday that, as an official sponsor of the FIFA World Cup 2026, it is running a range of consumer engagement programs tied to the tournament.

The beer brand has converted popular venues in Euljiro, Seongsu and Itaewon into "Cass Viewing Pubs," partnering with local establishments — Dalmaji Plaza Barbecue (Euljiro main branch and Seongsu branch), Itaewon Silbi Disco, Sam Lions and Suwon Samgwang — to run programs timed to South Korea's match schedule. On June 12, content creators "Kim Jinjja" and "Maengpicial" visited the venues and watched the match alongside guests.

At group viewing events, Cass introduced a participatory promotion called "Wide Cup." Using AI-based technology to analyze cheering moments, the program measures the width of participants' open mouths and awards one can of non-alcoholic drink Cass Zero per millimeter. Some participants are set to be featured as models in outdoor advertisements. Online, Cass is also running an Instagram event in which users who upload photos with a designated hashtag receive a can of Cass Zero.

Another program, "Cass Zero Refill Time," takes advantage of the "Hydration Break" — a new feature introduced at this World Cup — by displaying a QR code on an advertisement featuring Cass Zero model and actor Baek Hyun-jin, prompting viewers to apply for a sample product. About 7,000 people participated during the South Korea-Czech Republic match.

Near Gangnam Station, Cass is operating an experiential pop-up store called "Cass FIFA World Cup 2026 Fan Base Camp" through June 25. Viewing parties were held on the days of the Czech Republic match on June 12 and the Mexico match on June 19. A match talk show hosted by commentator Im Hyeong-cheol also drew strong interest. On South Korea match days, the brand is running a limited program that engraves players' signatures onto "One Team Edition" cans.

Seo Hye-yeon, vice president of marketing at OB Beer, said the company had "expanded various touchpoints so consumers can enjoy the FIFA World Cup in spaces close to their everyday lives," adding that it would "continue programs that let consumers share and enjoy the same moments together."

Visitors enjoy experiential programs at the Cass FIFA World Cup 2026 Fan Base Camp pop-up store. [Provided by OB Beer]
Visitors enjoy experiential programs at the Cass FIFA World Cup 2026 Fan Base Camp pop-up store. [Provided by OB Beer]

andy@heraldcorp.com