Brewing giant Anheuser-Busch InBev has turned to Lexis to position Budweiser as the brand that delivers 'a great World Cup experience'.

The consumer agency triumphed after a keenly fought eight-way pitch.

Budweiser marketing director James Watson said Lexis would work with the brand's other marketing agency partners to try to connect with consumers before and during this summer's tournament in South Africa.

The campaign will focus on bringing football fans together 'through banter and their passion for the game', according to Lexis CEO Margot Raggett. The campaign will build on the 'sociability' positioning that Budweiser launched last August, in contrast to its previous 'authenticity' marketing message.

There is no incumbent on the account. Budweiser has previously used a variety of agencies, but on a project basis. The pitch took place at the beginning of the year.

Staff from Lexis' sport, consumer and youth division Six will work together on the account. Budweiser first promoted its sponsorship of the World Cup in August last year, with an on-pack promotion, called 'Live The Dream', which offered fans a chance to win tickets to the event.

Meanwhile, Lexis has launched a new division called Sixty, to help brand marketers better understand and reach audiences in the 50-65 age bracket.

Consumer director Marilyn Wicks said more brands should be targeting the 21 million over-50s in the UK because they have a comparatively high disposable income.

'We believe the over-50s are generally a massive missed opportunity within the marketing community,' said Wicks, who will head the division. 'There is a huge amount of focus put on capturing consumers at the younger end of the spectrum. But, at Sixty, we believe there's valuable potential for those brands that can unlock routes into the hearts and minds of the older consumer.'