27 replies to this topic

[John B]

too bad because the paint scheme would have been compatible...................

From Grandprix.com via Jayski's NASCAR rumors page


This Bud is not for you...
A few months ago August Busch III, the chairman and chief executive of the giant US brewing company Anheuser Busch, met Ferrari's Jean Todt to discuss a sponsorship deal between Ferrari and Budweiser, Anheuser Busch's biggest brand. We heard at the time that an agreement was made, at least in principle for Budweiser to become a significant Ferrari sponsor, with the longterm aim being that the beer company would eventually take over from Marlboro when tobacco advertising ends in 2007. It seems that the deal has now falllen through and Budweiser has recently announced a three-year extension to its current deal in NASCAR with Dale Earnhardt Inc. This deal is believed to be worth $60m to the team although Budweiser will recoup much of that investment as it will take a percentage of the income raised by Dale Earnhardt Jr's merchandising operations.

[bira]

I don't think the Ferrari deal was ever intended to come in place of the NASCAR deal. To the best of my knowledge (which isn't, admitedly, much), AB were/are looking at the Ferrari deal with their mind on the European market (whereas the NASCAR deal is targetted at the US one).

[Jordan191]

Quote

Originally posted by bira
I don't think the Ferrari deal was ever intended to come in place of the NASCAR deal. To the best of my knowledge (which isn't, admitedly, much), AB were/are looking at the Ferrari deal with their mind on the European market (whereas the NASCAR deal is targetted at the US one).

I'd agree .. Dale Jr is * big * in NASCAR country. Budwiser wouldn't leave Dale Jr now.

[John B]

True - Dale Jr has become a huge part of their marketing, as evidenced by displays in just about every liquor store and supermarket I've been in recently. I remember a story in the past year or so that he was at least thinking about other contracts/teams, one rumor was because excessive sponsor committments were becoming a distraction. IIRC the issue was resolved and he has a long term deal now, but I can understand if before this Bud would be hesitant to commit to any other driver. They had (pardon the expression) a long dry period sponsoring other cars (the Hendrick #25) which had very limited success.

I agree the way the story is worded does imply that it was a 'one or the other' decision.

[Jordan191]

wordings kinda bad ..

I can't think of a better European motorsports promotional opportinity than the sidepod of that Ferrari for Budweiser.

[No27]

Quote

Originally posted by Jordan191
I can't think of a better European motorsports promotional opportinity than the sidepod of that Ferrari for Budweiser.

Probably the shirts of Manchester United?

Anyway, I believe Ferrari's are not stockcars. Besides Bud is not the best beer in the world, to put it mildly. So a deal with Ferrari is not the best match imagewise.

[Todd]

Quote

Originally posted by No27
Probably the shirts of Manchester United?

Anyway, I believe Ferrari's are not stockcars. Besides Bud is not the best beer in the world, to put it mildly. So a deal with Ferrari is not the best match imagewise.

Does this mean that years of F1 affiliation have sold you on the notion that Marlboro makes the best smokes in the world? Sounds like it would work for anything.

[Jordan191]

Quote

Originally posted by No27


Probably the shirts of Manchester United?

Anyway, I believe Ferrari's are not stockcars. Besides Bud is not the best beer in the world, to put it mildly. So a deal with Ferrari is not the best match imagewise.

I said MOTORSPORTS .. please read my post again

[Megatron]

Bud once was very active in non-NASCAR races. They backed Mario Andretti, Bobby Rahal, Scott Pruett, Paul Tracey, and Richie Hearn in CART and still have a "one time a year" sponsorship for Indy, which this year went to Robby Gordon. Of course, Montoya won with a Bud decal on the rear wing in 2000.

They also backed some sports cars in their day, proabably the best being the Bud Light Jaguar XJR14 GTP in the IMSA series.

The closest thing they have came to F1 to my knowledge was a one race deal with Tyrrell with the Michelob brand in 1981 for Kevin Cogan. Cogan barely missed the race at Long Beach.

NASCAR is the thing in the states, and this is drawing some serious money into it. The technology is ancient (though the tools to use those are quite hi tech), the tracks are mostly oval, but there is a huge demand and I think Bud want to keep Jr at all costs.

In the mid 1980s, Dale Earnhardt and Junior Johnson were supposed to have teamed up, but Bud vetoed Earnhardt at the last minute because they were afraid that his "aggressive" attitude would lead to bad press for a beer sponsored car. There was also a proposed move to drive a Wrangler car alongside the bud car I believe, but that never got close to reality.

I have a feeling that Bud and Ferrari may not have seen the last of each other as of yet.

[Bean]

2 out of every 3 beers sold worldwide are an Anheuser-Busch product. They have large stakes of Grupo Modello in Mexico and TsingTao in China, they have distribution agreements with Labatt in Canada... the list goes on and on. So there is little doubt that it is the most successful beer brand in the world. I think it'd be the absolute perfect match image-wise.

You'd certainly think that it would make sense to replace Marlboro after the Tobacco ban... Of course, F1 is approaching a bit of a crossroads, and I'm sure AB isn't eager to commit heavy funds to a circus that may or may not be around in a few years.

[Jordan191]

Hopefully by then we ( and A-B ) will know more about what's gonna happen

[Daemon]

Quote

Originally posted by Todd


Does this mean that years of F1 affiliation have sold you on the notion that Marlboro makes the best smokes in the world? Sounds like it would work for anything.

True.

But if anyone thinks that Budweiser beer will take of in Europe, due to Ferrari sponsorship, or due to any factor at all, if fooling themselves.

To be frank on the subject, unless they sell it for 1/2 the price of a regular serving of most european beers you can name, it ain't going to sell.

[nigel red5]

I could`nt see why Ferrari would want to go chasing after Bud, seeing as they already have an excellent partner that pumps many millions into the team. It may be different by say the midle of 2005, when you`ve got to start thinking ahead to a non-tobacco F1 advertising futre.......but certainly not yet.

[marion5drsn]

Question: How many breweries in Europe does A-B own? Also remember that the Germans were suckered in by Hitler, the French by Napoleon, Italy by Mussolini, England by the Royalists and so on Adinfinitum! M. L. Anderson

[Locai]

I am curious about something here:

I don't think that A-B has the rights to the "Budweiser" name in Europe. Isn't the name Budweiser really owned by a brewery in the Czech Republic?

I remember hearing something to that effect awhile back. The Czech brewery has been around for nearly forever. I think that their slogan is "The Beer of Kings" vs. the american slogan of "The King of Beers."

[Todd]

Quote

Originally posted by Daemon
True.

But if anyone thinks that Budweiser beer will take of in Europe, due to Ferrari sponsorship, or due to any factor at all, if fooling themselves.

To be frank on the subject, unless they sell it for 1/2 the price of a regular serving of most european beers you can name, it ain't going to sell.

By Budweiser are you referring to the #1 selling beer in the UK? The one made by Anheuser Busch? The one that I've seen visiting Brits drink in trendy NYC bars, thrilled to not have to pay a premium for it for once? Just curious.

[furr]

not sure i like the idea of bud on the side of the shiney red ferrari, partly from an objection to the company (i just cant forgive them for the stupid frog and dog advertising), and partly from a design point of view (the logo is butt ugly)

the major marlboro replacement sponsorship after the tobacco ban, in my mind, should be from the technology companies. hey maybe even mircosoft, then all those people who think ferrari are evil can team up with all those people who think gates is satan.

[se7en_24]

Ugghhhh Budweiser (the A-B one).

Todd, the UK isn't the whole of Europe, people even drink and enjoy Fosters there for heavens sake!

[calibre001]

The other problem would be the on-going litigation between the Czech's and AB.

Its unclear which markets Ab has the right to use the name...

Not a problem for our American friends, but it would be a farce if they had to run without Logo's for some races...just like the cancer-sticks.

http://www.prime-tas...0918/267330.asp

[Dudley]

Budweiser is not legally a beer in Germany since it contains rice.

[Ross Stonefeld]

It never was going to be Budweiser, it was going to be Bud. (which actually has a pretty cool logo these days)

[Todd]

Quote

Originally posted by se7en_24
Ugghhhh Budweiser (the A-B one).

Todd, the UK isn't the whole of Europe, people even drink and enjoy Fosters there for heavens sake!

I'm not sure you're right about the UK being a softer target than the rest of the world. In the US three of the worst beers in the world are leading imports; Heineken(Bud from the country with no clean water), Fosters, and Corona(not even drinkable without adding a lime). Why? Marketing. The US gets tarred with the brush that we have **** beer. Canada has been said to make shittier versions of their domestic stuff to suit our unsophisticated tastes. If we accept that, how does it explain away the UK being a big Budweiser market? The UK has some of the greatest beers, at least in my opinion. Why should we be able to crack that market with a beer that discerning US beer drinkers would snub for skunky, shipping damaged, brewed from sewage Heineken? Marketing is the answer. I'm sure it will be the answer for the rest of the world too.

[dosco]

Quote

Originally posted by No27


Anyway, I believe Ferrari's are not stockcars. Besides Bud is not the best beer in the world, to put it mildly. So a deal with Ferrari is not the best match imagewise.

What?

Firstly, what if an Italian Company advertised their beer on a Ferrari? Have you ever had Italian beer? It tastes WORSE than Budweiser(!).

Secondly, Bud isn't all that bad, especially if you drink it from a glass......now I like Pilsener Urquell far more than Bud, but Bud ain't the worst thing out there.

Lastly, folks in the UK seem to enjoy Bud. Why? I don't know. But why would any Brit in their right mind drink Bud when they could have a Guinness? Again I dunno but I'll bet some of it has to do with marketing.....A-B is a marketing machine....it seems to me that Bud would be taking a step in the right direction by sponsoring Ferrari, McLaren, or any other leading team for that matter.

And yes, if they put their logo on the Manchester United shirts, or Juventus for that matter, they'd be hitting a huge audience....

[marion5drsn]

Anheuser-Busch’s success in the UK is largely due to a tradition of strong marketing activities, the company’s dedicated sales force and a commitment to delivering the highest quality products to local beer drinkers. At the Budweiser Stag Brewery located in Mortlake, West London , Budweiser is brewed by Anheuser-Busch brewmasters and packaged for the UK market. Brewing Budweiser locally helps meet the strong demand for Budweiser in the UK.

Bud is even bigger than I thought! M.L. Anderson

http://www.anheuser-...ew/whatnew.html

http://www.zcu.cz/plzen/com/brewery/

[flyer72]

Quote

Originally posted by dosco


What?

Firstly, what if an Italian Company advertised their beer on a Ferrari? Have you ever had Italian beer? It tastes WORSE than Budweiser(!).

Secondly, Bud isn't all that bad, especially if you drink it from a glass......now I like Pilsener Urquell far more than Bud, but Bud ain't the worst thing out there.

Lastly, folks in the UK seem to enjoy Bud. Why? I don't know. But why would any Brit in their right mind drink Bud when they could have a Guinness? Again I dunno but I'll bet some of it has to do with marketing.....A-B is a marketing machine....it seems to me that Bud would be taking a step in the right direction by sponsoring Ferrari, McLaren, or any other leading team for that matter.

And yes, if they put their logo on the Manchester United shirts, or Juventus for that matter, they'd be hitting a huge audience....

The only way to truly enjoy beer IMO is to go to Germany, go to a bar, Cafe or Restaurant and have a beer "vom Fass". You know, the stuff that is fresh with NO preservatives and the beer should be poured into the glass the right way. Sure there is good beer elsewhere - but unless you have had a good German beer in Germany served the right way, you sure are missing something which should be part of every beer drinkers education. There are other countries that you can get similar stuff in - but why risk it? And no - drinking a Warsteiner in the US doesn't qualify at all.
Not all beer in Germany is good - but if you do avoid Lowenbrau and St. Pauli it would be hard to not have a good experience.

Bud might not be the worst beer I ever had, but it is definately somewhere in the top 10 (if you can call it that) worst beer list. IMO American beer is quite horrible in general, I'm swedish and think that the worst offender is the swedish brewery Pripps - so it isn't a nationality thing. If someone offers you beer from Pripps - please have the guts to just say no.

How AB wants to spend their marketing money is however up to them and if they want to spend it in F1 - hell that would be good! Ferrari will loose Marlboro any year now and honestly F1 needs more sponsors.

The difference is that I do understand the ones who doesn't like Bud to be used in the same sentence as Ferrari - If we were talking about an american upscale product - it shouldn't be an issue at all. I mean - Bud and Ferrari are two very seperate things in my mind. The problem for Ferrari is that the sport is extremely expensive, and they cannot just choose other highprofile brands as sponsors.

[Rory]

Quote

Heineken(Bud from the country with no clean water)...................skunky, shipping damaged, brewed from sewage Heineken?

That's why they export it, no one drinks it in The Netherlands.

One clarification: in The Netherlands they do have clean water.

[Haddock]

Budweiser - The British fascination with all things American has extended to, of all things, beer. The stuff sells huge quantities here. Why I do not know. I remember a quote from some TV series in which an English character in the US picks up a bottle of bud and says

"You know, contrary to received wisdom, there are a lot of good beers in the US. This is not one of them".

Can't remember where, think it might be from Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

Budvar, on the other hand, which is brewed in Ceske-Budejovice in the Czech Republic (don't know if they're connected to Anhauser-Busch or not), is a great beer.

In Britain we have lots of great beers that nobody has ever heard of- if you see it in your local, check out Fraoch, Grozet, Orkney Dark Island or Waggledance some time.

But hey - with the EU unhappy with tobacco sponsorship on F1 cars, how long before they decided they didn't like the drink-driving connection that might come from major brewers sponsoring race cars. Probably only a short term solution to the 'cash for ash' problem.

[Bladrian]

Post Marlboro I can see a 'Cinzano Rosso' Ferrari - not too sure what they'd do with the blue bits, though. Maybe Cinzano can start changing their labelling in anticipation .....