Budweiser has filed for and has gotten permission to use the phrase “America” as the primary naming element on the front panel of their beer cans for the summer months.
As brand marketers we can’t help but both wince and applaud InBev
But honestly, there seems to be something a little “off” about this marketing move. It is one thing to be proud of where you are from, and we Americans certainly have a right to be proud. It is another thing to wrap your brand and products so tightly in the flag that they become inextricably tied together.
Think on it for a moment, the move is brilliant also, AB has stirred the pot, and made news when there really is none to be had. Its not as if the product itself has changed.
Drinking the lifeblood of our nation? Really?
Beer is certainly a beverage that Americans of legal age have embraced. The proliferation of micro and craft beers has done wonders for the palettes of America’s drinkers; not so much for the big brewers. There is choice aplenty in the beer aisle.
So what beer really “represents” America in spirit, if not taste? Is America the taste of large multi-national conglomerates, pumping beer out at fire hose rates, or is it in the small craft and micro brew community that demonstrates innovation and spunk. Is America’s beer persona a light lager designed for the masses or a toothy IPA?
What’s your point of view on this move by Budweiser?
We invite you to weigh in…
-sb