Branding

Anheuser-Busch is creating limited-edition packaging throughout the 2016 NASCAR season and celebrating the brand’s return to the sport of racing by leveraging its packaging assets via its racing platform.

“Busch obviously has a great track record and strong roots in NASCAR and the sport of racing overall. We’re thrilled to be back,” says Chelsea Phillips, senior director, US Value Brands, Anheuser-Busch. “Our marketing efforts already focused on our long-running association with outdoor pursuits, especially those who enjoy hunting and fishing. We’re able to leverage the racing platform to amplify these initiatives, taking advantage of the natural synergies that take place across our interests in NASCAR, hunting and fishing.”

For example, the paint schemes for Kevin Harvick’s No. 4 Chevrolet are heavily inspired by the look of its iconic can. Every time Harvick’s car is seen—whether it’s during a race or on social media—fans make an instant connection to the Busch product.

Harvick has been very involved in the process since Day One. The goal was to create highly visual cans that would resonate with the company’s core target—passionate outdoorsmen and fishermen. The cans display some of the most popular species of fish that are found in our nation’s lakes and streams.“When we approached Kevin with the idea of using the No. 4 car as a platform to launch our fishing campaign, he was instantly on board,” Phillips says. “He’s an avid outdoorsmen himself, so it just made perfect sense and feels super authentic to us.”

Overall, Busch’s “Here’s to Earning It” tagline and overall brand persona are a perfect fit for NASCAR, and this sponsorship has resonated strongly with racing enthusiasts.

“Due to our brand’s deep racing roots and dedication to outdoor pursuits, we’re able to put some eye-catching designs on the track on race day,” Phillips says. “In addition to the standard Busch and Busch Light paint schemes, we fielded a Busch fish car paint scheme at Talladega, and we’ll have a retro car for the Southern 500 at Darlington in September, reminiscent of Cale Yarborough’s iconic 1979 Daytona 500 car.”

Since its initial design, the branding and packaging has evolved. For instance, it’s cut down on the number of species featured on the packaging so that folks can attempt to collect all varieties. Specifically regarding the limited-edition packaging—which inspired the look of the Busch fish car that ran at Talladega—all Busch and Busch Light packaging was converted beginning May 8 to feature one of four unique fish cans, or the ultimate prize: the brand new gold trophy can.