Movie reboots and cover versions of songs, among other forms of art, serve as ubiquitous—although not always well-executed or even necessary—reminders that nostalgia is a powerful marketing tool. Particular concepts can latch onto consumers and never let go. Budweiser and Burger King are banking on that, pairing a beloved commercial from the latter and a new sandwich from the former for a new promotional campaign that, among other things, yielded a hilarious and awesome piece of headwear.
Some could contend that Budweiser has fallen flat, as a January report from Beer Marketer’s Insights deemed it only the fourth-best-selling beer brand in the nation. It has not held the top spot since 2000, which, interestingly, was the year it gained immense popularity for the “Whassup” advertisement that aired during Super Bowl XXXIV.
Perhaps a desire to make good on its “The King of Beers” sobriquet compelled the company’s manufacturer, Anheuser-Busch, to team up with another monarch, so to speak, through the Burger King alliance. Through it, Budweiser is reuniting three of the male performers from the original spot and having them yet again blare their drawn-out greeting to one another. The fourth member of the revelers is the fast food chain’s mascot, known as “The King,” who comes bearing American Brewhouse King burgers for all.
For consumers who are calorically challenged, the menu addition will solve all those woes, as it contains a pair of flame-grilled beef patties, three half-strips of thick-cut smoked bacon, onions, tavern sauce, American cheese and mayonnaise on a sesame seed bun. If we have not completely ruined your attention span by describing the $6.19 sandwich’s amenities, allow us to tell you how Budweiser and Burger King are looking to receive the royal treatment from their bases.
😝 #whassup @budweiserusa pic.twitter.com/uEGLmiqq7D
— Burger King (@BurgerKing) June 27, 2018
While we commend the beer bigwig for not losing sight of the assertion that what is old can be new again—and laud the chain for continuing to give The King all glory, praise and honor—the resulting commercial has to play the role of the peasant in our role-playing game, as it is the limited-edition Freedom Crown, complete with stars, stripes and an American bald eagle, that deserves our unwavering reverence. Able to hold the sandwich and any sort of beer (although we all know Budweiser hopes its hops are the chosen ones), the promotional product not only will test the strength of an end-user’s head but will also help to serve the companies in their quest to forge “the perfect summer pairing.”
JUST IN: @BurgerKing & @budweiserusa partnership adds new crown option. Consumers ages 21+ can now get a “Freedom Crown,” which holds Burger King’s new American Brewhouse Sandwich and a can of Budweiser. pic.twitter.com/ekoiRNLuq3
— Darren Rovell (@darrenrovell) June 27, 2018
While it might seem odd to have the two team up to market what amounts to a guzzler helmet, they are banking on the contention that summer is a time to let one’s hair down (be careful not to fall prey to tangles if you literally do this while wearing the headwear) and defy what’s “normal.” William Shakespeare opined in “Henry IV, Part 2” that “Uneasy lies the head that wears a crown.” Through their newfangled partnership, Budweiser and Burger King are hoping to prove the Bard wrong in that regard and make his “I bear a charmed life” from “Macbeth” a more appropriate assessment.
