Drink all the Budweiser "Lagers" you can this weekend: On Monday, the American beer market will change forever with the official rollout of Budweiser "American Ale." Drinking macro-brews will never be the same!Or so they'd like us to believe. Sure American Ale isn't meant to replace Anheuser-Busch's flagship lager, but its definitely an attempt at rebranding -- a not so subtle marketing trick that has left many a New Coke in its wake.
That dark red American Ale label reminds me of another much hyped macro beer rollout. Most may not remember, or even care, but 2008 marks the 10th anniversary of the failure of Miller "Red."
It's official name was simply Miller beer, and the logic was simple: Miller Lite had served as a worthy competitor to Bud Light, maybe a Miller beer could chip away some of the market from Bud. It was a bold move -- almost literally putting their name on the line. But, rest in peace, after a massive 1996 launch, by 1998 it was gone. Now, a short 10 years later, I struggle to even find a picture of this revolutionary product online.
Will a similar fate befall Budweiser American Ale? Only time will tell. But I definitely see some striking similarities that go way beyond the red labels...
[Photo Credit: beerinator.com]
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