Budweiser Drops Iconic Clydesdale Ads, Enlists Jay Z to Reach Out to Younger Drinkers
The iconic Clydesdale horses seen each year in Budweiser beer holiday advertisements have reportedly been axed, being replaced by rapper Jay Z. The move seems to be a strategy at appealing to younger drinkers.
The large horses have been used in ads since 1933, when Budweiser introduced them to celebrate the repeal of Prohibition.
The self-proclaimed of King of Beers is reworking the marketing campaign to recapture the attention of beer consumers with fresh ideas.
According to the Wall Street Journal, falling sales of the title brand of its alcohol offerings have prompted the switch up in ads. The new commercials will focus exclusively on 20-somethings for a boost this holiday season.
One of a series of new TV ads asks these young beer drinkers, "If you could grab a bud with any of your friends these holidays, who would it be?"
This TV spot will lead into the brand's bigger marketing plan, which will feature food festivals and a two-day concert with Jay Z in Philadelphia.
Budweiser has seen lowered demand for the past 25 years. In 1988, the company was able to sell around 50 million barrels of its flagship brew, but last year that number was dwindling at 16 million barrels. Part of the problem is the divergence of its own brands, as Bud Light has pulled consumers away from Budweiser for years and has become the country's best-selling beer since 2001.
Anheuser-Busch, the brand's parent company, also must convince many young drinkers to try Budweiser for the first time. Its reports claim that nearly 44 percent of U.S. drinkers between the ages of 21 and 27 have never tried the product.
If Budweiser can gain traction among those in their 20s, it could tap into a huge new amount of potential consumers. The number of people turning 21 peaked last year with roughly 4.6 million celebrating the milestone birthday.
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