Budweiser Rebrands for 13th Time to Celebrate Milestone
Posted on Tuesday, February 2nd, 2016 by Joshua Murray
For the 13th time, Budweiser is rebranding their signature line of beer.
At first glance that number looks high, but when you’re talking about a brand that’s been on the market for 140 years, it starts to sound a little more reasonable. While beer lovers may debate whether or not Budweiser is actually the king of beers, there is no denying that they are an iconic brand that has great recognition and tradition.
It seems that the goals of the new packaging are…
1) Preserve key elements from the brand’s history.
2) Create something that is cool to look at.
3) Sell more beer.
Just 5 years removed from their last rebranding effort, it is a little surprising to see Budweiser going back to the drawing board again in 2016. But again, they have shown over the decades that they aren’t afraid to make a change, with some designs lasting as few as 2 and 3 years. So maybe we shouldn’t really be surprised at all.
This will be the 5th Budweiser packaging design since 1996, that’s an average of only 4 years per look, even with a 12 year commitment to 1 design from 1999 to 2011.
When it comes to the new 2016 design itself, I’m not complaining. The classic Budweiser elements (the crest, font, red colour) carry the brand’s tradition into the new design, and there’s a great mix of classic and modern in the final production.
As an added note, I do appreciate the full image shown in the bottles when they are lined up side-by-side.
Budweiser may catch more eyes in the beer aisles with their new packaging, but I’m doubtful that it will help them sell any more beer. With the movement towards locally brewed craft beers, the major labels are seeing their market share hold steady and/or shrink, not rise. And unless they’re going to drop the price and include a free t-shirt in every case, I don’t think that’s going to change right now.
Vote and tell us what you think of the new 2016 Budweiser rebrand.
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Posted in: Branding
Tagged: Beer, Rebranding
About Joshua Murray
Fuelled by ideas, opportunity and coffee, Joshua attacks the social media landscape every day with a purpose. His experience in retail, customer service and public relations have combined to give him a 360 degree view of social media for brands and he is committed to helping all of his clients leverage their voice in the social sphere.
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