Budweiser Gets Packaging Rebrand

[IceCap]

Miller does the "Champagne of Beers" thing, and they also have marketing based on "Our beer's for rugged cowboys because it's from the cold-ass rockies", etc. Is that just as sucky marketing?

The "Champagne of Beers" thing is only used for Miller Highlife which, judging from their advertising of that brand, is meant to be a more "upscale" product.

[pcgd]

Maybe its because I like most any beer but I'll say it...

I like Bud, Bud Light, Miller Lite, High Life, Coors, etc. I'm not too high on myself to admit it.

I also greatly enjoy Newcastle, any German Weiss-Biers, Sam Adams, Fat Tire, some IPA's, smoked porters, oatmeal stouts, Summer Shandy, pretty much anything. I'm not too stuck up to admit it.

As for the rebrand: Top notch except I agree that the B and the r get a bit lost. Wish that would have been contained in the bowtie. Also love love love the pull tab. Love when anyone takes something so simple and owns it by making it a major feature of their product.

[speedy]

Miller does the "Champagne of Beers" thing, and they also have marketing based on "Our beer's for rugged cowboys because it's from the cold-ass rockies", etc. Is that just as sucky marketing?

The "Champagne of Beers" thing is only used for Miller Highlife which, judging from their advertising of that brand, is meant to be a more "upscale" product.

There is nothing "upscale" about High Life, believe you me. It's more or less on par with a Coors.

Maybe its because I like most any beer but I'll say it...

I like Bud, Bud Light, Miller Lite, High Life, Coors, etc. I'm not too high on myself to admit it.

I also greatly enjoy Newcastle, any German Weiss-Biers, Sam Adams, Fat Tire, some IPA's, smoked porters, oatmeal stouts, Summer Shandy, pretty much anything. I'm not too stuck up to admit it.

As for the rebrand: Top notch except I agree that the B and the r get a bit lost. Wish that would have been contained in the bowtie. Also love love love the pull tab. Love when anyone takes something so simple and owns it by making it a major feature of their product.

Amen, you had me until you mentioned Coors, but nonetheless this is what I like to hear. Do I prefer a nicely crafted micro-brew over the dime a dozen Bud-type beers? Certainly, but I'll drink a Bud Light and enjoy it without being ashamed of it. It's a beer, get over it.

Anyways, when I first looked at the can I loved it; then I looked at the next image with each can through the years, and hated it. Now I'm somewhere in the middle, while it is simple and not over the top, it's a stray from their identity. How many times have they rebranded the bottles in the past 5 years? Quite a bit I think.

[vman]

I like the new look, specifically the tab and can more so than the logo, but I can't stand a company that still tries to pass off undrinkable piss as a high quality beer.

[IceCap]

I like the new look, specifically the tab and can more so than the logo, but I can't stand a company that still tries to pass off undrinkable piss as a high quality beer.

Then you're not going to like what's going on in China....

http://newsfeed.time.com/2010/07/21/pabst-blue-ribbon-is-classy-and-expensive-in-china/

[CS85]

I wouldn't say the diesel is undrinkable piss. Unless you exclusively drink stouts and porters. Which I don't.

That being said, the new look is pretty awesome.

[rmackman]

I like the new look, specifically the tab and can more so than the logo, but I can't stand a company that still tries to pass off undrinkable piss as a high quality beer.

Then you're not going to like what's going on in China....

http://newsfeed.time.com/2010/07/21/pabst-blue-ribbon-is-classy-and-expensive-in-china/

Says at the bottom of the article that the PBR they drink and that we drink are two different recipes, but still...yikes!

[BrandMooreArt]

It's to modern. Maybe I'm mistaken, but I take Budweiser to be the Coca-Cola of American beer.

totally different brand archetypes. both identities reflect them well though. Budweiser is the "average joe", a blue collar American (though they want to be more 'global') every-man. it works hard from 9-5 and drives a truck....IMO, i dont think this is too modern for Bud, its just right.

A crown worked into the pull tab seems a little over the top of a beer of the average Joe/hardworking blue collar American.

The red-on-red detail, the emphasis of gold over blue, the after-mentioned pull tab crown, it all seems over the top for a brand that's supposed to appeal to the every man.

and im not sure if you were implying this or not, but its not like Coke isnt a modern identity either. they are the perfect example of modern minimalism

I was implying that Coke's identity isn't modern. You call it "modern minimalism" I call it classic and timeless. Modern minimalism is just another phrase for it.

Coke's packaging and yes even their logo has not always looked like that. its actually a fairly recent upgrade. what has stayed consistent is the colors and for a very long time the logo and "swoosh". they've dropped everything else. thats minimalism. but working with timeless elements

I typed up a response to your Coca-Cola claims, but this isn't a Coca-Cola thread. If you want to continue this discussion (which I wouldn't mind at all, having quite an interest in pop history and branding) the PM box is probably the place for it.

As to Budweiser...

Budweiser is a widely known brand with a lot of history behind it. Its packaging should reflect that. I maintain that the red-on-red details, the emphasis on gold, and the crown on the pull tab is both unfitting for a brand trying to appeal to the blue collar/average Joe archetype and for a brand as old and widely known as it is. The previous can (if the cans through the years picture in the original post is any indication, I rarely drink the stuff) seemed more fitting for a traditional blue collar/average Joe brand.

I can't see this guy...

Budweiser is the "average joe", a blue collar American (though they want to be more 'global') every-man. it works hard from 9-5 and drives a truck.

Being reflected in this identity package....

well, i think its there. remember this isnt only being directed at Nascar fans. they want to reach a "more global audience" too.

[BelfourThibault]

I'm torn. On one hand, I really like the redesign. I think they did a great job, and it looks good. On the other hand, growing up in St. Louis, this is messing with my memories! I wasn't even old enough to drink when they replaced the traditional Budweiser font with the cursive...but the two cans prior to the cursive are far and away my favorite.

On a side note, the first can/bottle that I was able to (legally) drink was the Millennium edition. That was just over 11 years ago, but you know you're getting old when they've redesigned the thing two times since then.

[STL FANATIC]

What do the bottles look like? I'm cool with this for the cans, the boxes, all of that. But I really hope the label on the bottle is staying relatively the same.

[dfwabel]

What do the bottles look like? I'm cool with this for the cans, the boxes, all of that. But I really hope the label on the bottle is staying relatively the same.

The design change is for cans only. The bottle was changed in 2010 with a distinct design with "Since 1876", but has changed back to to the "A & Eagle" model. the label is not going to change.

They did have a 1% increase in sales with their US flag themed cans this summer (with red pull tabs), so this was coming all along. Especially since Bud is close to being the USA's #3 beer in sales behind Bud Light and Coors Light. I give AB-InBev credit to trying to restore the brand stateside while knowing that overseas money is still expanding.

[njmeadowlanders]

Love it.

I won't ever be purchasing it though. If I want crappy beer I just go and get...ah who am I kidding, I don't ever want crappy beer.

[SDX]

REally like the update. Gives it a modern look but still looks like a budweiser. I'm interested to see what the bottle label looks like as you normally see it in bottles over here and not cans.

Though overall the redesign is really nice. Though not as nice as the Miller High Life simplified one from earlier in the yet.

[illwauk]

It's to modern. Maybe I'm mistaken, but I take Budweiser to be the Coca-Cola of American beer.

I'd say so, but I'm sure people from Milwaukee will tell you otherwise.

Milwaukee has pretty much embraced micro/brewpub culture to the point that I'm not even sure how relevant Miller would be around here if they didn't sponsor so many events (Summerfest, the Brewers, etc.). The only people I can think of who order Miller are college kids who can't afford something better and people from out of town who know nothing about Milwaukee aside from the stereotypes from the 1970s and think drinking a Miller on Water Street is "doing like the Romans."

Either way, this is one of the better brand refreshes I've seen lately, but I have to agree with all the allusions to this being the proverbial polishing of a dogturd.

[JQK]

Budweiser is still beer, and as mass-produced beer goes, it isn't AWFUL... it's not like it's Coors f'ing Light.

Point being, i'm not leaving a party if all they have is Bud.

...and as for the redesign, i think it's nice and fresh touch-up. "Clean" is what comes to mind.

[AndrewPF]

Budweiser is still beer, and as mass-produced beer goes, it isn't AWFUL... it's not like it's Coors f'ing Light.

Point being, i'm not leaving a party if all they have is Bud.

...and as for the redesign, i think it's nice and fresh touch-up. "Clean" is what comes to mind.

But it's not quite the John Q. King of Beers?

[VC//]

Will it make the beer taste less like water?

[DEAD!]

So it's not THIS Budweiser? Damn!

[BrandMooreArt]

on Brand New

http://www.underconsideration.com/brandnew/archives/budweiser_rocks_the_bowtie.php

[BelfourThibault]

A lot of beer snobs here...

Budweiser isn't my favorite beer in the world, but it's not bad for 'middle of the week' beer. My 2 favorite kinds of beer are cold and free.