Budweiser Has Been Wrapping Cans in the American Flag for a Decade. Has That Become a Risky Bet?
In a polarized political climate, not everybody sees the stars and stripes the same way
In what’s become a yearly tradition, Budweiser recently announced the arrival of limited-edition cans just in time for Memorial Day. This time out, America’s lager isn’t just going with a stars-and-stripes motif, it’s going with a new name. Get ready to pop open a can of Freedom.
“Here’s to the freedom that unites all Americans,” the text on the Budweiser cans proclaims. “It is the foundation that our country’s strength is built upon. To commemorate this, we have replaced our iconic Budweiser name with Freedom so we can all toast to the value we hold so dear.”
The brewer is backing up this bit of soaring oratory with actions, too. Every case of Freedom sold between May 16 and July 4 will result in a donation to Folds of Honor, a charity that awards scholarships to the families of soldiers killed or disabled in action.
For Bud fans (or, really, for anyone who’s walked down the beer aisle) Anheuser-Busch’s summertime expression of national pride is nothing new. Variations on the stars-and-stripes motif have appeared in stores every year for roughly a decade now. And while it’s hard to fault a company for getting patriotic—especially on Memorial Day—it’s also the case that expressing patriotism isn’t as simple as it used to be.
At a time when even displaying the American flag can underscore deep ideological divisions in the country, one question worth asking is why—especially as beer consumption continues its slow decline—Budweiser is sticking with this tactic.
You’re a high-flying flag
Expressions of patriotism have been woven into Budweiser’s fabric from its founding days. Not only are the brand’s elemental colors red, white and blue, this was also the brand that produced a special olive-drab edition during WWII and shipped it overseas for GIs to drink.
But the summertime trade dress featuring variations on Old Glory and the overt drum beating for America are a relatively recent phenomenon.
As recently as 2011 (three years after Belgian brewer InBev bought Budweiser for $52 billion), Budweiser was talking about being a beer not just for Americans, but for everyone.
“This new visual identity,” AB InBev vp Frank Abenante said at the time, “is one of many steps in our quest to reinforce Budweiser’s role as a true global beer brand. Together with our unifying global creative idea, the new global packaging look and feel will reinforce Budweiser’s bond with consumers around the world.”
In the years to follow, Budweiser began to feature the stars and stripes on limited-edition cans, but the context remained broad-based. For example, when the Statue of Liberty appeared on bottles in 2015, Bud tied the limited edition to a partnership with the National Park Foundation and timed the release to Earth Day.
How patriotic can you get?
It wasn’t until 2016 that Bud shifted into the super patriotic mode that we recognize now. That year, its limited-edition cans and bottles dropped the Budweiser name to call itself “America.” It also modified the Budweiser Creed on the packaging to include parts of America the Beautiful, The Star-Spangled Banner and the Pledge of Allegiance.
Donald Trump’s election to the presidency that year, coincidentally or not, seemed to spur many brands to get patriotic in a hurry. Carl’s Jr. put a Most American Thickburger on its menu boards (“Because America, that’s why.”) Hershey wrapped its chocolate bars in red, white and blue. Coke produced a limited-edition “I’m Proud to Be an American” can.
Since then, Bud’s nationalism has held constant. 2020 saw the release of its “patriotic-themed family pack,” featuring a camo motif in red, white and blue on cans that also displayed the badges of the four branches of the military. Stars and stripes adorned “patriotic” cans appeared last year, too.
Who still wants a Bud?
What’s evident throughout all of these star-spangled promotions is that Budweiser is playing to its base.
Questioned about the rationale of the flag-draped designs of recent years, a company spokesperson told Adweek that the designs not only give the brand a chance to “own key summer moments” like Memorial Day, the Fourth of July and Labor Day, it’s messaging that fans have come to know and like.
“Americana continues to be an important passion point for the brand,” the spokesperson said, “and something uniquely Budweiser that our fans embrace with each release.”
But does it make sense to double down on those fans at a time when beer sales are not only slipping but the meaning of patriotism itself can trigger a debate?
Beer’s heyday as America’s alcoholic beverage of choice has long passed. In the 1990s, according to Gallup data, close to half of imbibers said their drink of choice was beer. Today, it’s 39%. Even during the dark early months of the pandemic when Americans began drinking at home with renewed vigor, beer sales fell by 2%, according to data from Ibotta, while sales of hard liquor soared by 33%.
Meanwhile, the flag itself is no longer the broadly unifying symbol it once was. Last year, YouGov surveyed 1,277 adults about their feelings toward the American flag. While 72% said the flag still stirs feelings of pride, many had mixed feelings.
For example, asked whether they’d feel comfortable walking through a neighborhood where many American flags were displayed, 56% of Caucasians said yes, but only 26% of Black Americans felt at ease with the idea.
There was a political rift, as well. While 54% of democrats associated display of the flag with patriotism, far more republicans (77%) did.
My lager, right or wrong
While it might seem that Budweiser should think about broadening its appeal instead of retrenching in a delineated segment of loyal drinkers, some observers say Bud is still doing the right thing for its brand—perhaps the only thing.
“Budweiser’s best customer isn’t a craft-beer drinking hipster in Brooklyn, New York,” observed Deb Gabor, CEO and founder of Sol Marketing.
“Budweiser is a mass-market brand, and it knows its target audience well. This campaign is a solid example of identity branding.”
“Beer drinkers don’t choose the beers they love just because they are a cold, amber-colored beverage that quenches their thirst,” Gabor continued. “They choose the brand of beer they drink for lots of other irrational reasons, the most profound of which is that the brands they use say something about them to themselves and others.”
Brand strategist David J. Deal agrees. “Budweiser is doubling down on its core audience by appealing to their values,” he said. “Brands build loyalty by connecting with personal values, [and] that’s exactly what Budweiser is doing.”
What’s more, while the symbolism of the American flag may have become politically complicated for some, Bud’s choice of the name Freedom is still a pretty safe bet. Wherever one is on the political spectrum, after all, freedom’s a hard thing to dislike.
“Freedom is a loaded word,” Deal said, “but it hits the mark with a large segment of the American population. Even though the word means different things to different people, freedom is on our collective radar screen. President Biden used the word ‘freedom’ seven times in his March State of the Union address.
“The beauty of freedom as a concept is that Budweiser does not need to define it. Budweiser can let its audience do that and vote with their pocketbooks.”
Read the full Adweek article here.