OGDEN – Budweiser Beer wants to be Utah’s official King of Beer. In a state founded by a people who consider imbibing alcohol a moral issue, it might seem like unwanted attention, but that’s not the way Anheuser-Busch Companies sees it.
The company headquartered in St Louis, MO is pushing to make their Budweiser the official libation of Utah. The Budweiser distributer for Cache Valley is Wasatch Distributor located in Ogden.
A limited-edition Budweiser special Utah beer will be distributed across the state this week. Utah will become the first state in the U.S. to have its own Budweiser bottle message.
“This Bud is for U-tah” is printed on the label on packaging of the brew. The label also has a boat with a fisherman on a lake, the Utah State Capital and Utah’s own Delicate Arch among other state symbols.
“The Bottles will available across Utah,” said Mike Siegal, the managing owner of Wasatch Distributing that delivers the beer to Cache Valley. “The beer will be available anywhere 12 pack bottles are sold.”
The distributer has a semi-trailer load awaiting to be unloaded. The campaign which was supposed to run from April 5 – May 7 exclusively for the state of Utah will be in stores this week.
“This is the third installment of Budweiser and Utah campaigns over the past two and half years,” he said.” We have seen steady growth of Budweiser in Utah and are pleased to continue to drive the connection of the brand with the people of Utah.”
Budweiser announced their efforts to become the Official State Beer of Utah less than a year ago and designed Budweiser labels and point of purchase displays touting the Beehive State’s slang.
“We are getting both local and national press and it was recently received coverage on Steven Colbert’s Late Show,” Siegal said. “We have gained over 157 million PR impressions and counting.”
To launch the limited-edition Utah Budweiser Bottles, the brand is paying homage to Utahns who made this bottle a reality, with a new campaign, The Beer Utah Swears By.
“Advertisements will be placed throughout the state, adorned with classic Utahn phrases such as ‘Holy Shizz,’ ‘Oh My Heck,’ ‘Frick Yeah’ and more,” said Lily Newman, an Anheuser-Busch Company spokesperson. “Budweiser ‘swear jars’ will also be available at certain stores where beer is sold where consumers can ‘purchase a swear’ and for each swear purchased a donation will be made to the Utah Clean Water Partnership to help clean local waterways, while cleaning up your mouth.”
Budweiser is launching a sweepstakes called “Swear, Sip and Ski” – which includes a helicopter ride to the top of a mountain for the winner and their friend to swear their hearts out in a judgement-free zone.