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Few things are more iconic than the American beer can – and Budweiser’s can in particular. Maybe it’s all the time we spent together growing up …but they’re ingrained in our memories and are part of our cultural DNA. But no matter what you think of Budweiser’s beer nowadays, you’ve still got to admit that their can is an American classic. And if history has taught us anything, it’s that you don’t fuck with a classic.
Which brings us to Budweiser’s new bowtie-shaped cans – a truly awful idea and our latest addition to BAD IDEAS IN BREWING.
Okay, here’s the deal. After being hit with a 2.3% sales dip last quarter, Anheuser-Busch has just announced that they’ll soon be introducing what they refer to as a “striking and original” bowtie-shaped beer can. Modeled to mirror the Budweiser logo, these bowtie-shaped cans are scheduled to launch nationwide beginning May 6…and we can’t think of a more misguided idea.
Who in the world ever thought a bowtie-shaped beer can was a good idea to begin with? Was there some kind of market research out there indicating that Budweiser’s buyers were clamoring for beer cans shaped like their logo? Was it possible that they’d discovered that their core demos had grown so forlorn and disenchanted with the look and shape of the traditional can that they’d rush out to purchase beer in cans shaped like a bow-tie?
FOR GOD’S SAKE…WHAT WERE THEY THINKING? We’re desperate to understand.
As far as the design goes, these cans are the opposite of iconic. They’re almost anti-iconic. Even though these cans were designed to mimic the company’s logo, our first impression was that of a semi-crushed can, something you might see by the side of the road – and that’s hardly a calling card for the consumer. And in addition to looking “pre-damaged,” the purchaser is actually getting shorted! Budweiser’s bowtie-shaped cans only hold 11.3 ounces of beer, compared to the traditional can’s 12 ounces.
STOP THE MADNESS…
The bottom line is that the traditional Budweiser can is as American as mom and apple pie… (okay, maybe even more so). They’re an almost universal link to our past – to the days when we all could care less how our beer tasted as long as it contained enough alcohol and could be purchased in 30-pack suitcases. For decades, floor to ceiling dormitory monuments have been built to these cans. And something that monumental should never be re-envisioned.
We suspect that Anheuser-Busch is already so committed to these bowtie-shaped monstrosities that their only choice is to go forward or risk losing face. And when they do, the Budweiser Bowtie-Shaped Can will assume its rightful place alongside The Heineken Cube and Soft-Serve Head as another truly BAD IDEA IN BREWING.
