AB-InBev sells “Busch Latte” (aka Busch Light) in the Midwest

USA | So this is AB-InBev’s take on localism in beer: change the label. Catering to Midwestern pride, the brewer will be selling its value brand Busch Light as a limited edition in select states with the cheeky label “Busch Latte”.

AB-InBev has repeatedly “activated regional pride” by quickly changing the labels of its popular brands for limited releases. In August 2018, it released a “Philly Philly” commemorative pack of Bud light in Philadelphia. A local American football team, the Philadelphia Eagles, had scored a surprise victory over the New England Patriots and the crowds had chanted “Philly Philly”, thus imitating Bud Light’s “Dilly Dilly” phrase (or so AB-InBev likes to believe).

A month later, in Cleveland, Ohio, AB-InBev installed half a dozen or so Bud Light “Victory Fridges” in bars, which were locked and would only dispense free Bud Light if the Cleveland Browns, another American football team, finally won a match – which they did after a 21-month long losing streak. The free beer was well worth spending when compared with the huge media attention AB-InBev received.

AB-InBev’s current initiatives in the Midwest do not exploit any excitement over winning sports teams. Media report that AB-InBev’s marketers had noticed that for several years now Busch Light has enjoyed “a buzz among fans on social media”. So they decided to release a short-term rebranding in seven Midwestern states, including Iowa, to cater to (or cash in on) the cult status of Busch Light. Along with the new name, the beer also comes with a different slogan: “Brewed for America’s Heartland”.

A special commercial features Busch Guy, the beer’s mascot, in a parody of 1980s coffee ads. In the commercial, Busch Guy has a lie-in and only wakes up late when a can of Busch Light is opened. The ad is meant to encourage drinking at non-traditional beer consumption occasions.

This is the second limited-edition beer announced for small pockets of consumers in the Midwest. Previously, AB-InBev released a Budweiser Harvest Reserve Deep Golden Lager in just Des Moines, the capital of Iowa, and Omaha, Nebraska.

AB-InBev has every reason to woo its consumers in Iowa. Earlier this year, the brewer found itself in the midst of a self-created public relations scandal after it accused rival MillerCoors of using corn syrup in a Super Bowl ad. Iowa’s corn farmers were not pleased and vented their anger online. A lawsuit from MillerCoors more or less halted the advertising campaign in May.