Fishermen across the country will once again be baiting Busch and Busch Light trophy cans this season. Busch beer’s popular fishing promotion is back with a new twist, giving consumers the chance to win the ultimate fishing getaway with pro fisherman and seven time Angler of the Year, Kevin VanDam. The brand’s 2016 campaign kicks off on May 1 when NASCAR driver Kevin Harvick’s No. 4 Chevrolet SS for Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR) sports a special-edition Busch fishing paint scheme during the GEICO 500 Sprint Cup Series race at Talladega (Alabama) Superspeedway.
“Now in its fourth year, the Busch fishing campaign is an essential platform for the brand that allows us to reach those who enjoy salt and freshwater fishing,” said Chelsea Phillips, Senior Director, US Value Brands, Anheuser-Busch. “Given Busch’s well-established dedication to outdoor pursuits and the sport of racing, as well as our tremendously talented partners Kevin VanDam and Kevin Harvick, we expect the 2016 iteration of the fishing program to be bigger and better than ever.”
Consumers who find one of the 100,000 gold trophy cans randomly seeded in packs of Busch and Busch Light can capture a photo of themselves with the can and submit it online via Busch.com. They’ll then be entered for a chance to win weekly premium prizes including GoPros, sonar systems, tackle boxes, fishing bobbers and more. Five lucky consumers will be awarded the grand prize: the fishing trip of a lifetime to one of four possible destinations to go fishing with professional bass fisherman, Kevin VanDam.
“After fishing trips to Missouri and even the Amazon with the Busch team, I can’t wait for what’s in store for 2016,” said Kevin VanDam. “In typical Busch fashion, they’re going big this year with the fishing program, once again showing their dedication to the sport and those who are passionate about the outdoors.”
Beginning May 8, all Busch and Busch Light packaging will be converted to feature one of the four unique fish cans and 100,000 will contain brand new gold trophy cans. The refreshed packaging will be featured on 18, 24 and 30-packs of 12 oz. cans as well as 25 oz. cans.
The graphics will represent each of the four potential consumer grand prize trip destinations, with a particular species of game fish representing each trip’s geography. The four fish species and corresponding trips are:
- Red Drum in Venice, Louisiana
- Largemouth Bass in Lake St. Clair, Michigan
- Cutthroat Trout in Montana
- Sockeye Salmon in Kenai River, Alaska
In addition to limited-edition packaging, the Busch fishing campaign will include radio spots, online video, digital/social content, experiential and retail activations. Aligning with the brand’s current “Here’s to Earning It” tagline, each element will reinforce that Busch is the perfect reward for those who work hard – whether their line just snapped after a long battle with a trophy fish or they’re frying up their catch at the end of a day on the lake.
Busch Goes “Big” at Talladega Superspeedway
To celebrate the launch of the Busch Fishing promotion, driver Kevin Harvick will pilot a No. 4 Chevrolet SS donning select species of fish that will create a visual at high speeds of fish swimming around Talladega Superspeedway. The hood will prominently feature each of the four fish cans and the trophy can, while the driver and passenger sides will display images of a cutthroat trout and largemouth bass, respectively. Harvick will also wear a Busch fishing fire suit and other fishing elements will be engrained into the race weekend at Talladega for consumers to experience.
“Since Busch returned to the Sprint Cup Series this season, we’ve had a lot of fun going out and spending time with the fans,” said Harvick, the 2014 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion. “When the green flag drops, I’m going to try to keep the Busch fish car up front. Hopefully I can ‘Win Big’ too and you’ll see the car in Victory Lane on Sunday.”
“Catch” Kevin Harvick Social Contest
Fans watching the race will have the opportunity to do some fishing of their own. “Catch” a screen grab of Harvick’s No. 4 fish car during the broadcast and post it on Twitter or Facebook tagging @BuschBeer and using the hashtags #CatchKevin & #Sweeps for a chance to win Busch swag.*
Busch will serve as the primary sponsor of Harvick’s No. 4 Chevy for 12 races during the 2016 Sprint Cup schedule, where Busch, Busch Light and other special-edition Busch paint schemes will be featured.
For more information on Busch or its involvement with NASCAR, visit www.Busch.com, www.Twitter.com/BuschBeer or www.Facebook.com/Busch.
About Busch Beer
Busch was introduced in 1955 – holding a noted place in Anheuser-Busch history as the first new brand after the repeal of Prohibition – and still features the same time-honored recipe that was first brewed 60 years ago. Busch Light and Busch are currently the sixth and seventh best-selling beers in America, respectively.
About Anheuser-Busch
For more than 160 years, Anheuser-Busch and its world-class brewmasters have carried on a legacy of brewing America’s most-popular beers. Starting with the finest ingredients sourced from Anheuser-Busch’s family of growers, every batch is crafted using the same exacting standards and time-honored traditions passed down through generations of proud Anheuser-Busch brewmasters and employees. Best known for its fine American-style lagers, Budweiser and Bud Light, the company’s beers lead numerous beer segments. Budweiser and Bud Light Lime Lime-A-Rita were named Brands of the Year for the Beer and the Spirits, Malt Beverages and Wine categories, respectively, by Ace Metrix® in 2014. Anheuser-Busch is the U.S. arm of Anheuser-Busch InBev and operates 17 local breweries, 21 distributorships and 23 agricultural and packaging facilities across the United States. The company committed to investing more than $1.5 billion in its U.S. brewing, agriculture, packaging and distributing operations by 2018. Its flagship brewery remains in St. Louis, Mo., and is among the global company’s largest and most technologically-capable breweries. Visitor and special beermaster tours are available at its St. Louis and five other Anheuser-Busch breweries. For more information, visit www.anheuser-busch.com.