Alcohol Advertising
Anheuser Busch had high hopes for Spykes. When the product was introduced in 2005, the giant brewer was losing market share to distilled spirits. In 2001 spirits makers had ended a long-standing voluntary policy against aggressive advertising. Liquor ads filled cable channels, then appeared on network affiliates. At NASCAR races lettering for Jim Beam and Jack Daniels appeared on the cars. More drinkers, notably young adults between 21 and 30 years old, found novelty in new brands, drinks, and mixes marketed by the distillers. Drinking tastes were changing. The trend in bars and clubs was moving away from domestic beers such as Anheuser-Busch’s Budweiser.
Chairman August A. Busch III thought the company needed something “fun and new and innovative” to
put into the hands of young drinkers.1 That product was Spykes, a caffeinated malt liquor beverage that was 12 percent alcohol. It came in a 1.7-ounce bottle for $0.75 or a 2-ounce bottle for $1. Spykes included caffeine to capitalize on the popularity of mixing energy drinks with alcohol and it came in multiple flavors— Spicy Lime, Spicy Mango, Hot Melons, and Hot Chocolate. Drinkers could down it as a shot or experiment by mixing the flavors in beer or cocktails.
Anheuser-Busch tried to build the brand slowly through word of mouth at the local level. It set up a
1 Quoted in Victor Reklaits, “Anheuser-Busch Unveils Product Aimed at 21- to 30-year Olds,” Daily Press-Newport, December 2, 2005, p. 1.
brightly colored Web site with recipes for Spykes. “Try it as a shot. Spice up your beer. Invent a new cocktail. Mix two or more together for a new flavor.”2 Visitors downloaded music mixes, ringtones, and screen savers. A message board let users inter- act with the site. One exchange of ideas was, “I wonder if it still tastes good if you heat it up lol,” followed by, “I’m gonna try putting one in the microwave . . . lol.”3
