Spotlight On: Budweiser

“The King of Beers” or “The King of Stealing the Czechs’ Ideas?”

Although Budweiser has a past mired in trademark and commercial disputes, they prove that quality rises to the top. Bud started in 1876 with German-born Adolphus Busch and his friend Carl Conrad. They set out to create a “bohemian-style” beer (their words, not ours!), and Budweiser was born.

Now, you might think 1876 is a long time ago — and it is. But, the original Budweiser was actually born all the way back in 1265 when Ottokar II, King of Bohemia, granted the city of České Budějovice brewing rights. The German name for České Budějovice, by the way? Budweis.

The Czech brewers have been making the original Budweiser since then, so you can see why they might take offense to some American upstarts creating a beer with the same name over 600 years later. And honestly, it’s hard to argue with someone who used to be the official brewery of the Holy Roman Empire!

That hasn’t stopped Bud, though. Since its release, Bud has gone from strength to strength to become the best-selling beer in the US. They’ve run a bunch of different marketing campaigns over the years, from Spuds MacKenzie, to the Budweiser Clydesdales, to the infamous “Whassup?” ads, to Budman. Fun fact, Budman was the inspiration for Duffman from The Simpsons, and if your mascot is getting mocked by the greatest show to ever grace our TVs, you know you must be doing something right!

But it’s sports where Bud has really focused their attention. They’ve been sponsors of the NFL, the NBA, and a whole bunch of NASCAR teams — ‘cause there’s nothing better than fast cars and cold beer.

In April 2023, the Bud Light brand got into trouble and started a cultural war. At the time of writing this brand bio, Anheuser-Busch – the parent company, was “dealing” with the problem. In 2024, Bud Light will continue to face challenges with its identity, and the brand is shifting to a more generic image, focusing on ads that just promote drinking Bud Light.

“The King of Beers?” “The King of Stealing the Czechs’ Ideas?” Or maybe, after five or six, “The King of Who the Hell Cares?” – Perhaps it is time to get the fan of Bud out and ask them what to do next for the brand.