Those classic Budweiser Christmas commercials are getting a millennial makeover. The company is putting its Clydesdales — the horses that have been featured in the beer brand’s holiday campaign since 1933 — out to pasture in order to attract a younger audience.
The new marketing tactic comes after a WSJ report showed America’s former favorite brew was seriously struggling to reach the younger crowd. Budweiser reportedly told WSJ that forty-four percent of 21-to-27-year-old drinkers have never even tried their brand. While their iconic holiday commercials still tend to do well — last year’s Puppy Love was the Superbowl’s most popular TV spot — Budweiser is hoping to appeal to millennials and they’re using Jay-Z to do it.
The company has plans to partner with music festivals like Hov’s Made in America Festival and create YouTube commercials in order to reach the next generation. But they’re not sending their beloved mascots to the glue factory just yet. A spokesman for the company told The Huffington Post they won’t be retiring the horses completely:
Budweiser Clydesdales will, in fact, be featured in next year’s Super Bowl advertising and are also a part of upcoming holiday responsible drinking advertising.
Just a thought, but maybe the way to sell more Bud is to just make it taste better? That might work.
(Via TIME)
