News Releases
Video Room
Media Kits
Leadership
Publications
Image Library
Press Archives
2006 Archives
2005 Archives
Budweiser And Bud Light Hit Homerun With Custom Local Packaging For MLB Teams
March 30, 2006
Homerunazo Program To Benefit Education Is Freedom Latino Scholarship Fund
ST. LOUIS (March 30, 2006) – Budweiser and Bud Light, the “official beer sponsors” of Major League Baseball and 26 MLB teams, will introduce team-specific packaging in team markets nationwide, allowing baseball fans to celebrate the 2006 season while showing support for their favorite team.
Anheuser-Busch will also debut new baseball-themed creative, offer a full-line of team-specific promotional items, and will partner with Education Is Freedom (EIF) to expand its “Homerunazo” Latino scholarship program.
“Major League Baseball has been an important element in our overall marketing mix for more than 25 years, and we continually work to enhance our relationship with the teams, fans and networks throughout each season,” said Tony Ponturo, vice president, Global Media and Sports Marketing, Anheuser-Busch Inc. “We have stepped up our activities around baseball in 2006 to create excitement for our teams and their fans, and to strengthen the bond between America’s favorite pastime and America’s favorite beers.”
Team-Specific Packaging
Eleven of Anheuser-Busch domestic breweries will be involved in the team-specific packaging campaign, which will produce 52 different packaging combinations on 3 million cases of 18-, 20- and 24-pack bottles of Budweiser and Bud Light. Team-specific packaging launches on March 27 in time for MLB Opening Night on April 2 and will reach all 26 MLB teams sponsored by Budweiser and Bud Light (see attached chart).
“Our investment in team-specific packaging demonstrates our commitment to the dedicated fans and teams of Major League Baseball,” Ponturo said. “Baseball fans are passionate about their team. Our custom packaging with individual team logos helps us tap into the excitement of the upcoming season and reinforce to the fans our support of their team.”
Commercial Commitments
Bud Light debuts new creative during the 2006 MLB season with a commercial titled, “Lockerroom.” Created by DDB-Chicago, “Lockerrom” features a baseball post-game celebration with a guest who’s “just here for the Bud Light,” a common theme of several new Bud Light ads.
Anheuser-Busch has also reached agreements with FOX and ESPN for enhanced positioning during national MLB broadcasts. Budweiser and Bud Light advertising will be seen during national regular season broadcasts on FOX, plus all FOX play-off and World Series games, and the MLB All-Star Game on July 11. On ESPN, Budweiser will be the presenting sponsor of both the “ESPN Hunt for October” – the network’s nightly broadcasts during the final three weeks of the regular season – and all of ESPN’s MLB Divisional Series broadcasts.
Homerunazo
Anheuser-Busch’s popular “Homerunazo” program gets a new twist in 2006 as part of the company’s partnership with Education is Freedom (EIF). The highly successful “Homerunazo” program awarded $100 per home team home run to Latino community charities in participating team’s home cities for a total donation of more than $500,000 in the past eight years. In 2006, “Homerunazo” will directly benefit EIF’s Latino scholarship fund.
EIF is a national education foundation based in Dallas. EIF focuses national attention and resources on students who have shown academic promise and leadership, but need financial assistance to go to college. In its inaugural national scholarship distribution period, EIF awarded more than $500,000 to 223 students across the United States for the 2004-2005 academic year.
Based in St. Louis, Anheuser-Busch is the leading American brewer, holding nearly 50 percent share of U.S. beer sales. The company brews the world’s largest-selling beers, Budweiser and Bud Light. Anheuser-Busch also owns a 50 percent share in Grupo Modelo, Mexico’s leading brewer, and a 27 percent share in Tsingtao, the No. 1 brewer in China. Anheuser-Busch ranked No. 1 among beverage companies in FORTUNE Magazine's Most Admired U.S. and Global Companies lists in 2006. Anheuser-Busch is one of the largest theme park operators in the United States, is a major manufacturer of aluminum cans and is America’s top recycler of aluminum cans.
Budweiser/Bud Light-Sponsored MLB Teams
National League
Arizona Diamondbacks
Atlanta Braves
Chicago Cubs
Cincinnati Reds
Florida Marlins
Houston Astros
Los Angeles Dodgers
New York Mets
Philadelphia Phillies
Pittsburgh Pirates
St. Louis Cardinals
San Diego Padres
San Francisco Giants
Washington Nationals
American League
Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
Baltimore Orioles
Boston Red Sox
Cleveland Indians
Detroit Tigers
Kansas City Royals
Minnesota Twins
New York Yankees
Oakland Athletics
Seattle Mariners
Tampa Bay Devil Rays
Texas Rangers
March 30, 2006
Homerunazo Program To Benefit Education Is Freedom Latino Scholarship Fund
ST. LOUIS (March 30, 2006) – Budweiser and Bud Light, the “official beer sponsors” of Major League Baseball and 26 MLB teams, will introduce team-specific packaging in team markets nationwide, allowing baseball fans to celebrate the 2006 season while showing support for their favorite team.
Anheuser-Busch will also debut new baseball-themed creative, offer a full-line of team-specific promotional items, and will partner with Education Is Freedom (EIF) to expand its “Homerunazo” Latino scholarship program.
“Major League Baseball has been an important element in our overall marketing mix for more than 25 years, and we continually work to enhance our relationship with the teams, fans and networks throughout each season,” said Tony Ponturo, vice president, Global Media and Sports Marketing, Anheuser-Busch Inc. “We have stepped up our activities around baseball in 2006 to create excitement for our teams and their fans, and to strengthen the bond between America’s favorite pastime and America’s favorite beers.”
Team-Specific Packaging
Eleven of Anheuser-Busch domestic breweries will be involved in the team-specific packaging campaign, which will produce 52 different packaging combinations on 3 million cases of 18-, 20- and 24-pack bottles of Budweiser and Bud Light. Team-specific packaging launches on March 27 in time for MLB Opening Night on April 2 and will reach all 26 MLB teams sponsored by Budweiser and Bud Light (see attached chart).
“Our investment in team-specific packaging demonstrates our commitment to the dedicated fans and teams of Major League Baseball,” Ponturo said. “Baseball fans are passionate about their team. Our custom packaging with individual team logos helps us tap into the excitement of the upcoming season and reinforce to the fans our support of their team.”
Commercial Commitments
Bud Light debuts new creative during the 2006 MLB season with a commercial titled, “Lockerroom.” Created by DDB-Chicago, “Lockerrom” features a baseball post-game celebration with a guest who’s “just here for the Bud Light,” a common theme of several new Bud Light ads.
Anheuser-Busch has also reached agreements with FOX and ESPN for enhanced positioning during national MLB broadcasts. Budweiser and Bud Light advertising will be seen during national regular season broadcasts on FOX, plus all FOX play-off and World Series games, and the MLB All-Star Game on July 11. On ESPN, Budweiser will be the presenting sponsor of both the “ESPN Hunt for October” – the network’s nightly broadcasts during the final three weeks of the regular season – and all of ESPN’s MLB Divisional Series broadcasts.
Homerunazo
Anheuser-Busch’s popular “Homerunazo” program gets a new twist in 2006 as part of the company’s partnership with Education is Freedom (EIF). The highly successful “Homerunazo” program awarded $100 per home team home run to Latino community charities in participating team’s home cities for a total donation of more than $500,000 in the past eight years. In 2006, “Homerunazo” will directly benefit EIF’s Latino scholarship fund.
EIF is a national education foundation based in Dallas. EIF focuses national attention and resources on students who have shown academic promise and leadership, but need financial assistance to go to college. In its inaugural national scholarship distribution period, EIF awarded more than $500,000 to 223 students across the United States for the 2004-2005 academic year.
Based in St. Louis, Anheuser-Busch is the leading American brewer, holding nearly 50 percent share of U.S. beer sales. The company brews the world’s largest-selling beers, Budweiser and Bud Light. Anheuser-Busch also owns a 50 percent share in Grupo Modelo, Mexico’s leading brewer, and a 27 percent share in Tsingtao, the No. 1 brewer in China. Anheuser-Busch ranked No. 1 among beverage companies in FORTUNE Magazine's Most Admired U.S. and Global Companies lists in 2006. Anheuser-Busch is one of the largest theme park operators in the United States, is a major manufacturer of aluminum cans and is America’s top recycler of aluminum cans.
Budweiser/Bud Light-Sponsored MLB Teams
National League
Arizona Diamondbacks
Atlanta Braves
Chicago Cubs
Cincinnati Reds
Florida Marlins
Houston Astros
Los Angeles Dodgers
New York Mets
Philadelphia Phillies
Pittsburgh Pirates
St. Louis Cardinals
San Diego Padres
San Francisco Giants
Washington Nationals
American League
Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
Baltimore Orioles
Boston Red Sox
Cleveland Indians
Detroit Tigers
Kansas City Royals
Minnesota Twins
New York Yankees
Oakland Athletics
Seattle Mariners
Tampa Bay Devil Rays
Texas Rangers