UK: Budweiser will centre its marketing plans for 2007 upon the “Budweiser Bucks” promotion

Anheuser Bush is to base the majority of its marketing plans for 2007 in UK around 'Budweiser Bucks', a major promotion that will allow consumers to exchange branded 'beer tokens' for a range of prizes, Brand Republic published November 14th.

The Anheuser-Busch-owned drinks brand plans to use the campaign, which will run in the spring, to build customer loyalty in the run-up to the key summer 2007 sales period.

Budweiser refused to comment on its plans, but it is understood that the on-pack initiative will be supported by a high-profile ad campaign; RKCR/Y&R is the brand's advertising agency in the UK.

The "Budweiser Bucks" initiative may prove controversial. It comes just weeks after the Department of Health launched its "Know your limits" drive, urging young people to drink sensibly.

Anheuser-Busch claims to be at the forefront of the drive to promote healthy drinking in the UK. It invests in a series of community-based programmes and marketing initiatives as part of its "Responsibility matters" scheme.

15 November, 2006