In 1876, 100 years after the United States declared its independence, Budweiser was founded. One of the more popular beers in the US, Budweiser can be found anywhere from a barbecue to a college party. Not only is it very popular, it is very infamous. Regarded as "piss water" by many, and just outright garbage beer by others. Beeradvocate, a website for beer connoisseurs, rates the beverage a 58 out of a top score of 100, deeming it "awful." With a score like that, why is it so popular? Yes, it is very cheap. But it is also a tradition, it seems.
With a tradition like this, why not take the bicentennial (plus 40 years) to temporarily rebrand the beer to match such an occasion? A few months ago, Budweiser announced that their beer would be renamed "America" for the summer. Just in time for the year of Trump, right? The cans and bottles appeared on shelves about a month before writing this, and will continue to be on shelves until right around the election. Is this Budweiser taking pride in its product and the United States, or is it just a gimmick?
There are two things to look at here. The first is how poorly received the idea was. In the age of the internet, we as users have information just seconds away. Information like Belgium owning the majority of the company. In 2008, Anheuser-Busch sold most of its stock to the company InBev, a Belgium-based brewery. The beer itself is described by Wikipedia as "American-style." Not American, but just styled as so. So not only is Budweiser no longer based in America, but the beer itself is only similar to an American beer.
Secondly, if it is just a gimmick, does the gimmick work? Co.design states "a lot of people would buy a 12-pack entirely for the joke of it." Is this true? I myself went to the supermarket just to buy a six-pack of America just because I could. The gimmick truly is present. I'm sure many, many others have purchased Budweiser's America just because it was rebranded. If you have not seen the new bottles or cans, but have seen the original art and words on the beer, I will here relay to you some of the changes. Firstly, of course, "Budweiser" has changed to "America." "King of Beers" has changed to "E Pluribus Unum." The word "Registered" has changed to "Since 1776." I am sure you can see the appeal of such a can.
I believe the only good thing about this temporary change is the absence of "King of Beers." Yes, the beer has been called this since its original brew from the 1500s (Anheuser-Busch concocted its own brew in 1876 based off of the original), but it is truly not the king of beers. It truly is American to drink a Budweiser, as it feels a staple to the country. But the rebranding truly is just a gimmick to sell more during the summer. Summer is Budweiser's peak sales season, so why not attempt to sell even more? What is more American than making more money out of a gimmick like this?
