Hard seltzer was dominating the market in 2019, growing 232% in that year alone (compared to Anheuser-Busch’s growth of 126%). At the time, there were only two key players in the game: Truly & White Claw. But it was clear to AB that hard seltzers would continue to gain traction as an alternative to beer. Seltzers are low cal, light, refreshing, and come with a variety of flavors. Most notably, they overcome barriers typically associated with beer: bloat, caloric, and bland.

To maintain relevance with their audience’s dynamic preferences, and entice new drinkers, AB leaned on it’s biggest beer brand: Bud Light. Bud Light was well-suited to attract more people and grow the Seltzer segment. Bud Light had the power to leverage a huge media reach, and reputation for fun, to create mass appeal and grow the overall seltzer category.

But with Bud Light Seltzer came another challenge. As a brand known for light lagers, introducing a seltzer from Bud Light would raise some questions from our loyal drinkers and new audiences alike: Is it a beer? What does it taste like? What flavors are there? Is there Bud Light in it?