Budweiser Goes Red, White and Blue for Limited Summer Run

ST. LOUIS -- The iconic Budweiser bottle is getting a patriotic makeover. For a limited time this summer season, the bottles will feature red, white and blue packaging.

The new design comes in advance of a summer initiative in which the brand will contribute a portion of all sales from May 20 through July 7 to help raise as much as $2.5 million for the Folds of Honor Foundation. The organization provides post-secondary educational scholarships for families of U.S. military personnel killed or disabled while serving their country, according to Anheuser-Busch.

The patriotic bottle, which comes with one of five decorated bottle caps, features the brand's iconic bowtie as its focal point. Budweiser cans and secondary packaging also will convert to red, white and blue for a limited time, beginning in mid-May and continuing until mid-July.

"It's going to be a red, white and blue summer for Budweiser -- most visibly in our packaging but more importantly in our philanthropic support for the families of America's fallen heroes through the Folds of Honor Foundation," said Rob McCarthy, vice president of Budweiser at Anheuser-Busch. "Our partnership with Folds of Honor is helping to make a difference in the lives of families whose loved ones have made the ultimate sacrifice to protect the freedoms we all hold so dear."

The limited-time packaging will be available in eight-, 12-, 16- and 24-ounce cans and in a 12-ounce glass bottle, 16-ounce plastic bottle and 16-ounce aluminum bottle. The patriotic theme continues on secondary packaging for all of the top-selling configurations, including six-packs, 24-packs, 30-packs and other popular sizes.

According to McCarthy other components of Budweiser's "Red, White and Blue Summer" include:

• "Walk Off a Hero" This season, Budweiser will donate $5,000 for every walk-off (the equivalent of one scholarship) during baseball's 2012 regular season to the Folds of Honor Foundation.
• 2012 Olympics: Budweiser is the official sponsor of Team USA during the 2012 Summer Olympic Games; in June, the brand will unveil a 16-ounce aluminum bottle with the Team USA logo.
• NASCAR: Kevin Harvick, driver of the No. 29 Chevrolet, will spotlight a special Budweiser red, white and blue paint scheme for races at Charlotte Motor Speedway (May 27), Michigan International Speedway (June 17), Kentucky Speedway (June 30), Daytona International Speedway (July 7), Pocono Raceway (Aug. 5) and Watkins Glen International (Aug. 12).
• Flag Day Sampling: Budweiser wholesalers will hold sampling events for the brand in mid-June, including on Flag Day itself, June 14.

"Last year Budweiser had its best summer in many years with our special red, white and blue can as the catalyst during June," McCarthy said. "We have expanded and improved this packaging this year."