Closing Time

Hey Buddies,

The last year has seen a lot of changes in the team and vision over here at Buddy Beers. You may have noticed that we haven’t been as engaged with you as we were before. We’re sorry. We still love you (promise!).

Unfortunately some of our new opportunities in the last year mean that we don’t currently have the resources to keep Buddy Beers in it’s current state up and running in a way that we feel 100% satisfies our commitments to you as the best way to buy your friend a beer. 

After a lot of thinking we have decided that we will be taking all our apps offline on May 1, 2013. 

This doesn’t mean Buddy Beers is dead. Far from it! We are continuing to explore some awesome new opportunities for you to enjoy beer with your friends around the world. In order to do this, though, it’s easier for us to just push the reset button on the current apps.

We can’t thank you, our awesome users and our awesome partners like Carlsberg, enough for supporting us over the last three years and we look forward to seeing you again in the future.

You may have some questions about what this transition means and we hope most of them are answered in the following Q and As, but if we’ve missed something please drop us a line at help@buddybeers.com or leave us a comment on Facebook or Twitter.

A big cheers to you again for being with us on this journey!

Your Buddies,

Travis, Benedikt and Min-Sung

———

Questions:

I still have vouchers for drinks that I haven’t redeemed!

Don’t worry. We will still guarantee redemption of your vouchers until the expiry date. Make sure you download the Buddy Beers app before May 1st. If you have any problems redeeming your drink vouchers please let us know as soon as possible at help@buddybeers.com.

What will happen to the iPhone and Android apps?

The Buddy Beers apps will be pulled off the shelves of their respective stores and no longer available for download. If you have the app installed, you will still be able to access some data and redeem outstanding vouchers, but purchases will no longer be possible.

Is my personal data still safe?

Yes! Your data has always been encrypted and secured in our databases. No one will have access to it unless we enter into a contract with someone else as a strategic partner to continue the Buddy Beers experience. If this happens we will make you aware and you will have the opportunity to delete your data before the transition. This way you can choose if you’d like to support the new partner. If you’d like your data deleted before that our Terms of Service apply as normal, meaning drop us a line at help@buddybeers.com and we’ll delete your data immediately.

Where can I learn more about this and ask further questions?

You are welcome to come discuss this and ask further questions on our Facebook and Twitter pages.

Our Android App is out!

Android users, the wait is finally over! We are excited to announce that we released the Android version of our Buddy Beers application this morning. You can grab it for free on Google Play now and start sending beers to your friends around the world! 

We are interested in your feedbacks! Tell us what you think about it by tweeting us @buddybeers or writing us at info [at] buddybeers [dot] com! 

Wanna win some tickets for Euro 2012? Then like our Facebook page and watch out for the contest coming this week!

Buddy Beers Contest Winners!

Thanks a lot to all of you who attended our party this weekend. We’d never seen so many people in this place! It was crazy!

A lot of you participated in our contest last week to win an iPhone 4S 16GB, a Samsung Galaxy SII 16GB and 2 tickets for the EM2012 Germany - Denmark game at Lemberg/Lviv. 

Unfortunately, we can’t give prizes to everyone (we wish!) and handpicked -old-fashioned way- 3 lucky names in a bowl yesterday! 

The winners are: 

iPhone 4S 16GB: Uli (@MauzePow)

Samsung Galaxy SII 16GB: David (@Sm0k1ngGnu)

2 Euro 2012 tickets: Hubert (@HubertMayer)

Congratulations! We hope that Uli & David will send tons of beers to their friends to celebrate their victory, and we wish Hubert the best to see Germany defeating Denmarkat the Euro! :-)

Contact us at info@buddybeers.com to claim your prize! 

Buddy Beers Verlosung: Gewinne ein iPhone, ein Android-Smartphone oder Tickets für die EM 2012

Herzlich Willkommen auf dem Buddy Beers Blog.

Was ist Buddy Beers?

BuddyBeers.com ermöglicht es dir, Freunden Online ein echtes Bier zu spendieren. Ihr kennt das sicher, ein Kumpel hilft einem weiter und man bedankt sich mit dem Spruch „dafür schulde ich dir ein Bier“. Diese Schuld einzulösen, mag einfach sein, wenn derjenige im gleichen Ort wohnt. Was aber ist, wenn man von jemandem Hilfestellung bekommt, der weit weg wohnt? Genau hier setzt BuddyBeers.com an. Alles was man braucht ist die Handynummer oder die E-Mail-Adresse eines Freundes und die kostenlose Buddy Beers App. So kann man einem Freund oder Bekannten schnell und einfach ein Bier spendieren, dass er dann einlösen kann.
Mehr Infos dazu findet ihr auf unserer Website BuddyBeers.com.

Warum eine Verlosung?

Wir haben letzten Monat unsere iPhone-App gelauncht (lade sie dir kostenlos im App Store herunter) und die Android-App steht auch schon in den Startlöchern. Das ist für uns ein Grund zum Feiern! Daher gibt es am 31. März in der Bar 1820 (Rosa-Luxemburg-Str. 41) ab 22 Uhr auch eine Party. Co-Sponsoren Carlsberg, Jameson und Zoeva ist sein Beitrag kostenlosen Getränken und Geschenktüten.

Du möchtest gerne zu der Party kommen?

Kein Problem, sage bei Facebook zu und du bist dabei.

Wie funktioniert unser Gewinnspiel und was gibt es zu gewinnen?

Unser Gewinnspiel läuft bis zum 30. März. Wir verlosen ein iPhone 4S (16GB), ein Samsung Galaxy Nexus (16B) und zwei EM-Karten für das Spiel Deutschland-Dänemark in Lemberg (Ukraine).

So macht ihr mit:

Um einen dieser tollen Preise abzuräumen, haben wir uns für euch ein Lossystem überlegt. Jedes Los sichert euch einen Platz in unserer virtuellen Lostrommel (Auslosung erfolgt mit random.org).

• Tweet = 1 Los
• Facebook Post = 5 Lose
• Blog Post = 10 Lose

Wichtig: Damit wir wissen, wie viele Lose wir euch geben können, und dass ihr mitgemacht habt, postet bitte die Links zu eurem Tweet, eurem Facebook Post und/oder eurem Blogpost hier in die Kommentare. Danke.

So bekommt ihr 1 Los für einen Tweet:

• Twittere diesen Text:Spendiere mit @BuddyBeers Freunden Online ein Bier. Gewinne iPhone, Galaxy Nexus, EM-Tickets! LaunchParty Berlin http://bit.ly/buddybeersDE

So bekommt ihr 5 Lose für einen Facebook Post:

• Postet diesen Text in eurem Facebook-Account (Achtung, der Post muss öffentlich sein):

Kennt ihr schon Die Buddy Beers App? Eine coole Möglichkeit um Freunden Online ein echtes Bier zu spendieren. Auf dem Buddy Beers Blog gibt es gerade eine Verlosung, bei der man ein iPhone 4S, ein Samsung Galaxy Nexus und Karten für die EM2012 gewinnen kann. Am 31. März findet außerdem eine Launch-Party in Berlin statt. Mehr Infos findest du hier: http://bit.ly/buddybeersDE

 So bekommst du 10 Lose für einen Blogpost:

Schreibe einen Blogpost in deinen eigenen Worten, der folgendes beinhaltet:

• Infos zu dieser Verlosung und ein Link zu diesem Blogpost
  • Erwähne die Launch-Party in Berlin http://www.facebook.com/events/269768339769277/
  • Schreibe ein paar Zeilen zur Buddy Beers App und binde dieses Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=90SAFSkQvwQ
  • Dieser post http://bit.ly/buddybeersDE

Folge Buddy Beers und bleibe in Kontakt mit uns:

• Werde Fan auf Facebook
• Folge uns auf Twitter 
• Abonniert dieses supercoole Blog! ;)

Wir wünschen allen Teilnehmern viel Glück!

English version here.

Buddy Beers Contest: Win an iPhone, Android Phone or Tickets to the EM2012

Posted from: Berlin, Germany

Welcome to the Buddy Beers Blog.

What is Buddy Beers?

BuddyBeers.com allows you to buy real beers for your friends online. They aim to put the social back into socializing.  Ever said “I owe you a beer” to someone? Were they across town or even in another city or country? Now you can make good on that promise by buying your friend a real beer in a real bar, remotely, through BuddyBeers.com. With integrations into your mobile lifestyles and social networks BuddyBeers.com is going to make sharing drinks with your friends much more fun, even if they are oceans away. 

Why are we doing this giveaway?

We are celebrating the launch of our new Buddy Beers iPhone App (download it from the App Store, it’s free!) last month, and our Android App coming this month, with our global community of friends and followers.  As well, we want to encourage everyone in Berlin to come to our launch party on March 31st, at Bar 1820 on Rosa-Luxemburg-Strasse 41, starting at 22:00. Co-sponsors Carlsberg, Jameson and Zoeva will be contributing free drinks and gift bags.

Want to join the party? 

Confirm on Facebook here.

How does the giveaway contest work?

Participate between now and March 30th, by following the instructions below and you can be entered into the drawing to win an iPhone 4S 16GB, Android Smartphone Samsung Galaxy Nexus 16GB — which will allow you to enjoy our new Buddy Beers Apps — as well as two tickets to the EM2012 game, Germany against Denmark at Lemberg/Lviv.  Winners will be announced on March 31st.

Instructions to participate.

Each point that you earn will equal one time that you are entered into the drawing.  For example, if you earn ten points, your name will be entered ten times.

You can achieve a maximum of 16 points. 

• One tweet from your Twitter account = 1 point.
• One Facebook post on your Facebook page or wall = 5 points.
• One post on your blog = 10 points.

You need to put the link to the tweet, Facebook post and/or blog post into the comments of this blog in order for us to be able to track your activity.

Twitter (1 Point!):

• Tweet this text:

Look! @BuddyBeers cool App to share beers with friends. Huge giveaway Smartphones, EM-Tickets. Launch party in Berlin! http://bit.ly/BuddyBeers

Facebook (5 Points!):

• Post this text to your Facebook wall (make sure, the post is public):

Check it out! Buddy Beers is a cool App to share beers with friends. They are running a huge giveaway, with an iPhone 4s and Samsung Galaxy Nexus, and tickets to the EM2012.  And they’re having a big launch party on the 31st of March at 1820 Bar in Berlin. More info: http://bit.ly/BuddyBeers

A post in your Blog (10 Points!):

• Please write in your own words a post about:
  • The Giveaway, with a link to this Buddy Beers Blog post: http://bit.ly/BuddyBeers
  • The party, with a link to the event  http://www.facebook.com/events/269768339769277/
  • The Buddy Beers App, and embed the following video  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=90SAFSkQvwQ

Stay in touch with Buddy Beers and follow us:

• Become a Fan of Buddy Beers on Facebook
• Follow Buddy Beers on Twitter 
• And of course this uberamazing Blog :) 

Good luck!

German version here.

Coming to terms with 1986

DISCLAIMER: this article might have been written by our French marketing guy, and his views might be biased towards his national team. 

There are those friendly games that no one really cares about, and there are others. Even if France and Germany didn’t meet each other in an official football competition since 1986, most French people didn’t really come to terms with Sevilla 82’ & Mexico 86’ World Cup semi-finals.

The few victories that followed in the 90s really didn’t change anything: because of these two crucial games, any France - Germany encounter seems to turn into a personal affair for most of us. Tonight’s gonna be no exception. 

SEVILLA ‘82

In the most dramatic game of the World Cup 82, Germany beats France 5-4 after penalty shoot-out and an epic 3-3 tie game, despite the murder attempt of Bernhardt Foster on Dominique Rochetau (video at 0:57, soon avenged by a penalty scored by Platini) and flamboyant goals by Tresor (3:20) and Giresse (4:18). Waves of defenestrations in Paris that night. Germany goes to finals and gets humiliated by Italy, 3-1. 

MEXICO ‘86

This one was supposed to be the one. France has an incredible disco anthem, ‘Viva Les Bleus’ (Viva Les Bleus/in Aztec territory they’re going to play like Gods/the sombreros have eyes only for them), and after an easy progression, kicks Bresil’s ass in quarters. Galvanised by this victory on the huge favorite of the competition, Platini’s dream team is ready to take its revenge on Sevilla.

Brehme and Völler score the two second-rate goals of a mediocre German team, and ruin in cold blood the hopes of a whole generation. Once again, for nothing, since the Argentina of Maradonna recalls everyone who’s the boss and sends Germany to hell in final thanks to the fatal mistakes of the goalkeeper Harald Schumacher. 

TONIGHT

‘Go **** yourself, son of a *****’

In all seriousness, since most of the actual French team spent their 2010 World Cup crying and whining, going as far as going on strike after a tie game and two defeats, scoring only one goal in the whole competition, lost a humliating home game against Belarus the same year (67th best team in the world, according to latest FIFA ranking), and faces a great German team resting on a talented new generation, be nice.

If you know a Frenchy somewhere in the world, just send him a few beers on Buddy Beers to drown his sorrows tonight. Frenchies, be fair, don’t forget to do the same and congratulate your German friends in case of terrible defeat. Have a nice game! 

Buddy Beers Contest Winner at The Pub in Berlin

To celebrate the launch of our new Buddy Beers iPhone App, we encouraged our followers on Twitter to retweet the news in exchange for being entered into a contest to win free beer.

We were able to catch up with Monica Zaldivar from Roomsurfer.com, to hear about how she won, what she thinks of Buddy Beers, and to drink a liter with her!

Special thanks to the Director and Edtior of the video: Roxi Rox

3 creative beer commercials

We love beer commercials. OK, sometimes they’re just here to make you forget about how bad is the beer they’re trying to sell you, but at least, they’re often creative and funny!

Starting today, we’ll share with you our favorites ads every week.

1. The Big Beer Ad (2005) 

Carlon Draught is a pale lager brewed in Australia, famour for its crazy commercials. Among them, this one will forever be known as one of the most ambitious: it won over 30 awards, including a Golden Lion at the Cannes Lions International Advertising Festival in 2006!

2. Danish Beer Commercial

This old Danish commercial has not been banned (contrarily to what the title says), and is sometimes an accurate description of the reality…

3. Real Men of Genius (1999)

When you sell one of those american beers, you better have a good marketing team with you. Looks like Bud Light knows what to do, because these ‘Real Men of Genius’ are still aired on the radio from times to times. The fun never gets old! 

Buddy Beers iPhone App is out!

The Buddy Beers iPhone App is available for free in the iTunes Store!

Finally you can send a cold beer to a friend on the go. Running late to meet your friends in a pub? Why not buy them their first round before you get there! Forget your wallet? You can always pay for your beer via the app. The possibilities are endless!

We also filmed a cool video, explaining the purpose of Buddy Beers: 

Don’t hesitate to spread it on Twitter before Friday,  you might be one of our winners and drink for free in the Buddy Bar of your choice!

Cheers,

The Buddy Beers Team

Buddy Beers and Belushi’s Berlin Team Up for Movember

If you’re in the dark about what Movember is, let us quickly enlighten you. Movember is a campaign that started in Australia but has since grown into a worldwide campaign (no pun intended) where men (and sometimes women) sport moustaches for the entire month of November to raise awareness for men’s health issues such as prostate cancer.

Belushi’s Berlin is leading the charge in Germany and hosting several events throughout November to celebrate the month and also raise money for great men’s health charities. They even have drink specials just for customers showing some upper lip hair.

Buddy Beers is supporting this great idea by donating 50% of the revenue from beer sales in Belushi’s through buddybeers.com to the official Movember charities.

If you’d like to get involved you can visit (and like) these facebook groups: MovemberGermany and MovemberBerlin or go and join the official Berlin Movember group.

What are you waiting for? Buy a beer. Grow a mo. Save a bro.