Not So "Drinkable?" Sales Of Bud Light Are Dropping For The First Time Ever
Sales of Bud Light are down, probably because of the recession, but we hope it's because of the aggressively annoying "Drinkability" campaign. In any case, AB has decided to roll out more than 15 new "Drinkability" commercials in the coming weeks, according to the Wall Street Journal.
Volume sales of Bud Light, the top-selling brew in the U.S., have fallen this year and may register their first annual sales decline in the brand's 27-year history.
The new ads, set to coincide with the start of the U.S. football season on networks such as ESPN, will include more of the humor that drinkers have been accustomed to seeing from Bud Light over the years. The ads will refine the company's "Drinkability" campaign — which sought to persuade drinkers that Bud Light is neither too heavy nor too light in taste — that began last year and has struggled to gain traction.
Do you like the "Drinkability" campaign? Are we the only ones who find it really annoying?
Anheuser Refreshes Bud Light Campaign [WSJ]
(Photo:Dyanna)
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You know what else is drinkable? Water.
I want my beer to have some flavor, thank you.
Well maybe its because they sold out and are no longer an American company. Honestly though, Bud Light is terrible, the only thing worse is the frat boy special Coors Light.
How is American beer like having sex on a boat?
They're both fucking close to water.
Ba dum dump.
No offense to Bud Light but once you become an adult and try a Nice Extremely Hoppy IPA .. Its hard to go back ..
Eh A close reading of the article seems to say that the campaign is effectively finished. All that remains is the face saving. Drinkability will probably not remain a slogan for over long past this little salve to some exec's ego.
@zombies.like.lattés.too: Was just going to post that. If I'm looking for "drinkability" I'll hit up my Brita filter. Otherwise, I'll find a quality (hopefully locally brewed) beer that doesn't taste like beer-water.
Still rather have bud light than miller no matter what.
Were gonna see all these dorks sitting at their work desks talking about all the manly drinks they have.
When it comes down to it, a lot of times at a picnic or party you may want a beer but this is all they have. Its not always fantastic to have 7 killians for a long night of celebrating.
When it comes down to it if I had my choice between coors, miller, natural, mb, pbr, or bud, ill probably go for the bud. That being said I think drinkability is stupid and they need to back to the
REAL MEN OF GENIUS. MR ROLLING COOLER COOLER ROLLER!
I thought those were pretty good.
I'm a Guinness fan myself but for the mass produced beers, I will drink Miller High Life or Coors any day over an Anheuser Busch product.
@Christopher: Don't get me wrong, I can enjoy some beer-water when I'm floating around the pool and need to hydrate. But if I do, it's usually 'The Champagne of Beers.'
the only thing worse is the frat boy special Coors Light.
So, I take it, you're not acquainted with Milwaukee's Beast and his friend, Pabst Blue Ribbon, then?
I love it so much, I hope other industries follow. "McDonald's: Our food is edible!". Gap: "Our clothes can cover your body!".
It's the Obama effect. :)
@zombies.like.lattés.too: Well in that case we also offer the taste treat Bub Light lime with all the synthetic goodness of lime. What, you want to move up scale to show that you're no blue collar Joe then try Michelob Ultra the carbonation you love plus the white collar flavor of manila folder.
I've never understood the whole drinkability campaign. If you say something is drinkable, that means it's just so-so. Perhaps this is their first attempt at truth in advertising.
@CopyPaste: I liked Mr Deli Meat Cutter guy, only because I used to cut deli meat, and it made me feel appreciated.
@Scrutinizer: Haha, oh my stars, Bud Light Lime. And I thought there would never be a synthetic fruit flavor to rival the disgustitude of fake banana.
Bud Light did it.
If I'm going to have an "American" style beer of any kind, it's Miller Chill. Refreshing on a hot summer evening. I cannot fathom why anyone would choose to drink Bud Light. My brother won't touch anything else. I don't get it. "Here, you can have a drink that tastes like weak fizzy pee, and pay for it, too." Sold me! (not)
A few reasons Bud could be faltering:
1. Bud Light's constant logo changes are more offensive than even Pepsi's. Non-light Bud has the same look as ever. Bud Light keeps trying to appeal to the casual weekend-warrior demos and women, and failing.
2. The taste. Bud Light has none. As microbrews, imports, and domestics like Sam Adams and even Amber Bock get people drinking beer with flavor, Bud Light goes down.
3. Annoying ad campaigns. They're infantile. Adults don't want farting horses or "Drinkability." They want a good-tasting beer they aren't ashamed of ordering. Sure, Bud Light has the 16-year-old demo nailed, but they lose everyone over the age of 25 forever.
@CopyPaste: Um. You almost had me nodding my head in agreement (I'm fine with a Bud Light, say, at a ballgame on a hot afternoon ... it's what's available, it's cold, etc), but your point of reference for a "manly drink" is ... Killian's?
It's almost like beer.
how come my comments never appear?
Bud Light's market is probably getting eaten up by even cheaper beers like Milwaukee's Best and Natural Light. When it doesn't have much flavor, any not-much-flavor beer will do, so why not get the cheapest one?
@gStein:
Yes, they were. I seem to remember them switching to "Real Men of Genius" sometime after 9/11. It probably seemed inappropriate to compare the inventor of the foot-long hotdog to a first responder.
@gStein: Yeah I just noticed. I got trigger happy because that's one of only two jokes I know. The other one is about a duck asking for his chapstick purchase to be put on his bill. *sigh*
@zombies.like.lattés.too: If you want flavor, you shouldn't be drinking "light" beer in the first place. Compared to other "light" beer, Bud Light isn't the worst.
I don't care much for Bud Light, but the taste of a "nice extremely hoppy IPA" makes me cringe. And I'm an adult. I just don't like the taste.
"Light beer" makes "decaffeinated coffee" look legitimate by comparison.
Most beers are pisswater, but "light" beer looks and smells the same going in as it does coming out. It's probably the same stuff.
I know there is going to be a lot of bragging about Bud Light is watered down wee, and the high end, microbrewed by trappist monks on 3 hours of sleep with hops that were hand picked by virgin angels beers are the be all end all of alcoholic consumption.
But to be honest, high end beers taste like ballsweat to me. I'd rather have the cheap, watered-down wee, or if I am feeling fancy, a Yuengling. If that makes you feel superior to me, then so be it.
I've never seen these Drinkability ads, but I'd think Bud Light of all beers would benefit from a recession. People are depressed, want to drink, and Bud Light is cheap. Maybe this recession is so bad that only Colt 45, Natty Ice, Milwaukee Beast, etc are benefiting?
While I don't drink beer almost all of my buddies do. They're choosing to support the local microbrews around town who A) offer better quality at a similar price and B) offer a better atmosphere in which to drink it.
Second, most of my friends went back to regular beer for the taste. They got tired of diet beer. They'd rather have a few extra calories and enjoy their brew.
Whoa. You mean, you can like, drink a liquid that's meant to be consumed? That's insane!
@Ayarkay: Well McDonnalds is almost there.. They claim their food is "natural".. I laugh every time.
Exactly. This crap, and Coors Light especially, can only appeal to people who actually don't like beer. Because they don't taste like beer. They taste like slightly fuzzy water. This crap should be banned...
Amstel Light is about the only light beer I've ever tasted that actually didn't taste like water.
@dwb: Yes and if someone can explain the idea behind the XX "Stay thirsty, my friends" ads I'd appreciate it.
I would think they would want me to be not-thirsty after their beer. You know.. thirst quenching or something.
Maybe that's Gatorade.
I thought the "Drinkability" ad campaign was the 2nd most retarded beer slogan ever. Coors Light's "Coldest tasting beer" taking top prize in that department. Turns out, the always hysterical Drew Magory shares that sentiment. He summed it up in a post on Deadspin last fall:
In a stunning revelation, it turns out what makes Bud Light so unique is the fact that you can drink it. My God! What a discovery! I've never had a beer I could actually drink before. Usually I pick up a beer and say, "God dammit! I can't drink this beer. IT'S MADE OF PURE STEEL!"
And then I realize I'm trying to drink an All-Clad skillet.
[deadspin.com]
Ad campaign is less annoying than the beer. Like making love in a canoe.