Branding

Beer often tends to be one of the most exciting categories for limited-edition seasonal products. With many brands just a few weeks out from dropping their fall product lines (yes, already), Anheuser-Busch has made a particularly exciting announcement: the release of their first-ever flavored beer. Busch Light® Apple is one of the most innovative new products in recent memory for the legacy brand, with Daniel Blake, VP of Anheuser-Busch’s value brands, calling it “one of the most significant moments in our brand’s 65-year history.”

The bright red can displays a quaint illustration of an apple orchard, with ripe apples falling from a branch across the top. Interestingly, the brand campaign doesn’t really lean into typical autumnal visuals at all – rather, to celebrate this “advancement” by the brand, Anheuser-Busch has created a suite of materials that parody the tech company Apple. They’ve even released a microsite for Busch Light® Apple that features an “unboxing” video in the style of vlogger tech reviews.

With canned cocktails and hard seltzers dominating the summer alcohol market (particularly with consumers drinking more at home, rather than at bars and restaurants), many have been wondering what type of product will prove to be the hit for the fall and winter seasons. Beloved cold-weather classics, including cider, are a strong bet. Busch Light® Apple attempts to appeal to cider-drinkers and beer-lovers alike, making it a very powerful contender to rule the season.

As part of the campaign, Anheuser-Busch is also offering “Bush Light® Apple Replacement Protection” – essentially a sweepstakes for the first 1,000 contestants to post a picture with the Busch Light® Apple logo in exchange for the opportunity to “win money towards the replacement of your product.”

Considering that Anheuser-Busch is one of the top leaders in American alcohol brands, it’s worth paying attention to the types of products that they are betting will be popular with consumers. If Busch Light® Apple takes off, we could soon see a new wave of seasonal flavors for beer and other alcoholic products.

Sometimes, flavors themselves can be flexible if the packaging can tell the right story for the season. For example, Valenzano Winery’s “Red, White, and Blueberry Sangria” combines the flavors of cranberries and blueberries for a patriotic summer beverage. However, come winter, those same flavors are repurposed for the winery’s “Santa’s Little Helper” bottle. While flavor selection plays a big role in building consumer excitement for a seasonal product, solid packaging and branding can allow for even more opportunities when planning limited-edition alcohol lines.

The right flavor combined with strong branding and design can lead to a memorable seasonal campaign that has consumers talking all year long. While autumn is still a while away, we’re already excited to see all of the fun limited-edition products that this category has in store.