May 10, 2016

"Budweiser, the beer brand owned by a Belgian company, will soon appear on shelves with a new name: America."

"The redesigned can will replace... beer’s slogan, 'King of Beers'... with 'E Pluribus Unum... Instead of a description of the brewing process at the top of the can, there will be lyrics to 'The Star-Spangled Banner.'"

This crazy scheme will go on from May 24 though Election Day. Seems like it should be a joke, but it's not. Works as viral advertising, obviously.



Seems consistent with an electorate trending toward Trump... even though Trump never drinks and Hillary has often swigged beer right on camera:

45 comments:

David Begley said...

AB is now owned and run by foreigners.

I hope this cynical move completely backfires on them. Expect craft brewers to attack.

Bob Ellison said...

Beer is surprisingly high in carbohydrates. You might as well have an ice-cream cone. More joy there.

Mark said...

Isn't Budweiser owned by Belgian/Brazilian InBev?

A foreign company slapping America and all our catchphrases on its packaging, and getting every media outlet and blogger to make it go viral.

Are they having a joke at our expense?

Achilles said...

Hillary is widely known as a drunk. Only power is more addictive for her.

And while this is going to backfire badly, the stupid thing is that there are 2 alcohol distributors right now. 2. So this brand will take a massive hit but nobody is going to really lose money over it.

All of the beer in the beer section is owned and distributed by 2 companies, neither american.

I Have Misplaced My Pants said...

That's a pretty decent photo of Hillary. I like her necklace, that jacket is a nice blue and her jawline looks trim. Not bad.

Rob said...

If Hillary had perfected that pose twenty years ago, we might never have heard of Monica Lewinsky.

The Godfather said...

With all her money from speaking fees and bribes -- I mean contributions -- Hillary! ought to be able to afford imported beer.

Rocketeer said...

A foreign company slapping America and all our catchphrases on its packaging, and getting every media outlet and blogger to make it go viral.

I'm pretty sure that's cultural appropriation, which is a big no no.

Wince said...

"My god, America is imploding."

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=1-GEFfrPnak

Curious George said...

"Rob said...
If Hillary had perfected that pose twenty years ago, we might never have heard of Monica Lewinsky."

As long as Monica Lewinsky could perfect that pose we would have heard of Monica Lewinsky.

clint said...

"Mark said...
Isn't Budweiser owned by Belgian/Brazilian InBev?

A foreign company slapping America and all our catchphrases on its packaging, and getting every media outlet and blogger to make it go viral.

Are they having a joke at our expense?

5/10/16, 4:14 PM"

Nah. They're noticing that there's a large underserved market of Americans that actually like America -- and who drink inexpensive beer like Budweiser.

This is more like fan service, or knowing their customer base.

Mark said...

How very emblematic of how crappy America is becoming.

Unknown said...

Backfire? How? Are Bud drinkers going to be repelled by this 'cynical ploy?' I doubt it. Might a few (usually non-Bud) customers choose one of these? Maybe. Maybe not. The novelty will likely give them a sales boost. Who cares? But how is there any connection to Trump?

Fabi said...

America -- fuck yeah!

themightypuck said...

I'll be drinking a lot of bud, er America, during the summer.

themightypuck said...

I think they should brand Bud Lite as Canada.

eddie willers said...

Crazy like a fox, Ann.

lonetown said...

Kind of like when pepsi changed their logo to more closely resemble obamas.

jimbino said...

At least they didn't pollute the America beer can with "In God We Trust" or other insulting mottoes.

n.n said...

They are riding the wave of hostility to anti-native socio-economic, religious factions.

David Begley said...

More truthful to label it "Brazil" or "Belgium."

A giant disaster in STL and young Busch still doesn't know how it happened.

DavidD said...

They oughta do it with PBR, not Bud....

Michael K said...

The Muslims will quickly put a stop to this. They are already attacking people in Britain for drinking beer.

I wonder how long before the new Muslim mayor of London bans pubs?

Bleach Drinkers Curing Coronavirus Together said...

Might as well. America makes and packages some of the shittiest beers in the world (like a lot of its other products). Adds petroleum to the canning, too.

No one else in the world wants to be associated with what we make. So put that country name in the branding and be proud of the fact that we like the smell of our own farts, etc.

JAORE said...

Will the wagon be drawn by American Clydesdales now?

JAORE said...

FWIW, I think this is dumber than New Coke.

Titus said...

I fly into Newark every month and right across from the airport is the most enormous Budweiser beer plant I have ever seen.

Looks like it was built in like 1950.

tits.

Unknown said...

No, DavidD, PBR will be rebranded "Radiohead," and Busch "Guns & Tits."

Beloved Commenter AReasonableMan said...

Make America drunk again.

Sydney said...

Growing up, I had a friend whose dad's name was Bud. He always used to say, "When you say Bud's wiser, you've said it all." What will Bud, and all the other Buds in the world, do now?

Known Unknown said...

"No one else in the world wants to be associated with what we make."

Wow. That's dumb.

chickelit said...

Ud Blight way outsells regular Bud, and AB can't figure out how to kick start their flagship brand. Will we see a rebranding of Bud Light to "America Light?" Wouldn't be prudent.

chickelit said...

Rhythm and Balls said...Might as well. America makes and packages some of the shittiest beers in the world (like a lot of its other products).

Maybe back in Philly, but out here San Diego County there are around 115 independent breweries -- all of them craft breweries.

cubanbob said...

R & B the great thing about all the crappy mass produced domestic beer is that it spawned a great number of decent to great domestic microbrewers. Maybe after the third or fourth decent beer one can continue on the road to drunkenness with crappy beer as an economy move (most folks won't notice or care at that point) but then that's another topic. On the other hand I suppose some people actually are tastebud impaired or are simply looking for a cheap buzz. Not trying to be a moralizer, just an observer.

Paul Ciotti said...

I hate it when they change great old names. I still miss Fort Pitt and Iron City.

Howard said...

That's the widest Hillary can open her mouth... and Bill gets all the blame.

chickelit said...

Anheuser-Busch (AB) had a unique problem with the Budweiser brand in that they were forbidden to market their product as Budweiser in Europe. That right belonged to the original Bohemian (Czech) brewery. Likewise, the Czech Budweiser couldn't market their beer as Budweiser in America and were forced to call it "Budvar."

I'm wondering if the venerable trademark agreement was somehow broached or compromised by the recent acquisition of the American trademark by a European country.

Does anyone know?

chickelit said...

@Howard: There's no reason to needle Bill like that.

effinayright said...

Althouse: "Hillary has often swigged beer right on camera:.."

Swigged, eh....?

Such a loaded, contemptuous hillbilly word. Not sipped, or drank, or any other neutral term.

Why not just tell us that Hill took a "chomp" off'n that bottle, or a "bite"?

Sure, perfesser, you claim to like her --- but something to the contrary always oozes/suppurates through.

effinayright said...

I'm wondering if the venerable trademark agreement was somehow broached or compromised by the recent acquisition of the American trademark by a European country.

Does anyone know?

***************

They should compromise on "Panther Piss" and be done with it.

jaydub said...

Chickit: "I'm wondering if the venerable trademark agreement was somehow broached or compromised by the recent acquisition of the American trademark by a European country.

Does anyone know?"

Without a doubt. I'm a Budvar fan and my wife is an accomplished home brewer (and beer snob,) so I've followed this battle ever since we first went to the Czech Republic 15 years ago. The actual battle between the AB budweiser and the Czech Budvar version has been going on for over a hundred years, and Budvar has effectively blocked distribution of AB "Budweiser" in Europe and parts of Asia. However, AB's "Budweiser" has been sold using the same label design as in the US, but with a name change to simply "Bud." I didn't even notice it until my wife pointed it out; so, changing the name to "America" may not be as big deal as some would think. Budvar BTW is a true Czech pils, brewed using the German Reinheitsgebot purity law while my wife says AB's version is a mongrel brew which uses rice and other ingrediants (I said she is a beer snob!) Interestingly, the only place I know of where both AB and Budvar versions are sold as "budweiser" is in the UK, and that's because the UK courts effectively ruled that Budvar is so superior in quality and taste that there shouldn't be any consumer confusion between the two. Which is where I'm at on the subject. If anyone wants to try the Budvar version, it's sold as "Czechvar" in the US.

tim in vermont said...

That's the widest Hillary can open her mouth... and Bill gets all the blame

According to Jennifer Flowers, it would still fit fine.

Darrell said...

Buy, Buy
Miss American Pie.
Watch out for homophones.

Phil 314 said...

Shouldn't it be

'merica

chickelit said...

In the Hillary photo, note that all three bottles are rotated to maximize the readability of the label: "Presidente."

Coincidence?