Anheuser-Busch (A-B) announced a national campaign with the White House today, incentivizing adults to get vaccinated by offering free beer.
As part of “Let’s Grab a Beer” campaign — a national initiative to help in the recovery from COVID-19 — A-B will “buy America’s next round” of beer, seltzer, non-alcoholic beverage or other A-B product if the country reaches President Joe Biden’s goal to have 70% of adults partially vaccinated by July 4.
“At Anheuser-Busch, we are committed to supporting the safe and strong recovery of our nation and being able to be together again at the places and with the people we have missed so much. This commitment includes encouraging Americans to get vaccinated, and we are excited to buy Americans 21+ a round of beer when we reach the White House goal,” Michel Doukeris, CEO of A-B, said in a release.
“We pride ourselves on stepping up both in times of need and in times of great celebration, and the past year has been no different. As we look ahead to brighter days with renewed optimism, we are proud to work alongside the White House to make a meaningful impact for our country, our communities, and our consumers,” he continued.
Once the goal is met, adults 21+ can upload a picture of themselves at their “favorite place to grab a beer” to receive a beer on A-B. It is the biggest giveaway the company has ever offered, according to a release.
This is not A-B’s only campaign aimed at getting people vaccinated. Budweiser made headlines in January when the company announced it would not have a Super Bowl commercial for the brand for the first time since 1983. The company would instead redirect the would-be commercial budget to campaigns to stop the spread of the COVID-19 and encourage vaccinations.
In April, Budweiser and the A-B Foundation announced a partnership with the Ad Council and COVID Collaborative to create a PSA encouraging vaccine awareness and education. They released a short film titled “Good Times are Coming” showing fun times pre-COVID-19, telling consumers that the vaccine will help those times come back.
In 2020, the A-B Foundation joined the Ad Council in the #AloneTogether campaign, reminding consumers to continue to follow CDC guidelines while still enjoying A-B products.
Later in the month, Budweiser announced that it would give a “free beer” in the form of a $5 virtual debit card to anyone 21+ who proved they were completely vaccinated.
“We’re proud to support the safe reopening of bars and restaurants which is vital to our long-term national economic outlook,” Cesar Vargas, A-B’s chief external affairs officer said in a release. “With this next chapter of our ‘Let’s Grab A Beer’ campaign, we want to encourage consumers to revisit their favorite establishments, which are the heart and soul of our industry, but take a commonsense-approach to socializing safely.”
Earlier this year, A-B announced plans to invest more than $1 billion over the next two years in its facilities to “drive economic prosperity in communities across the U.S.” As part of this commitment, the company invested nearly $300 million to transfer production of import brand Stella Artois to the U.S. and $100 million in its St. Louis brewery to support domestic operations for EverGrain, a barley ingredient company.
In July, A-B announced a partnership with the National Restaurant Association on its Restaurant Revival Campaign — a national advertising campaign inviting consumers back to restaurants and encouraging establishments to sign the ServSafe Dining Commitment ensuring the health and safety of their employees and guests. A-B contributed $2.25 million in assets, including cash and ad time, to the campaign, spearheaded by the Stella Artois brand.