Bud Bucks

With sales dropping in Britain, Anheuser-Busch has launched one of several new media initiatives aimed at 18 – 24 year old men, attempting to bolster the brands image and increase sales.

Essentially Marlboro Miles on the Internet, the beer brand has introduced “Bud Bucks,” a type of currency in which consumers text message codes they find on bottles to redeem a random denomination of anywhere from 5 to 100 Bud Bucks. Supposedly, by providing a random denomination, the company is discouraging binge drinking. Users can then go online and buy or bid on Bud related merchandise.

The Herald writes:

Budweiser’s troubles in Britain also have coincided with a period of rising anti-Americanism. Anheuser- Busch tried to ingratiate itself with consumers last year by running ads during the World Cup soccer tournament that poked fun at the perceived ignorance of the game among American television sports commentators. “You do the football, we’ll do the beer,” Budweiser promised.

“Bud is definitely a cool brand in the U.K. market,” said Barry Houlihan, managing director of Mobile Interactive Group, the agency that created the Bud Bucks Web site and that runs the text-message portion of the campaign. “Converting cool to sales is the challenge.”

The site is intended to be a celebration of cool Americana. Visitors arrive on “Bud Boulevard,” which vaguely resembles a Miami street scene. By clicking on one of the buildings, users can enter a shop where mobile music downloads, Budweiser-branded dartboards and poker chips are available. Or they can enter an auction site where they can bid on tickets to events like English Premier League soccer games.

Bud Bucks

International Herald Tribune: With the dollar down, Budweiser tries its own ‘currency’