Digital Experience Traces the Origins of Your Budweiser, Detailing Sources of Ingredients and Care, Commitment and Craftsmanship of Budweiser Brewmasters  


ST. LOUIS (Feb. 29, 2012)-A Budweiser from the Houston brewery will now be unmistakable. Through Budweiser's latest digital campaign, "Track Your Bud," beer drinkers will be able to trace the origin of the beer they hold in their hands to one of Budweiser's 12 U.S. breweries, including Houston.

By scanning the QR code on Budweiser packaging, downloading the free "Track Your Bud" app or visiting TrackYourBud.com, Budweiser fans can enter the Born On Date found on bottles and cans and watch as the brewmaster responsible for brewing their batch of beer takes them on a guided tour of their beer's production, from the ingredients used, through the Houston brewery where it was crafted, and into its drinkers' hand.

"For beers brewed in Houston, consumers will receive personalized content narrated by me," said David Cohen, brewmaster of the Houston brewery since 2010 and a 12-year Anheuser-Busch employee. "I have an extremely cool job, and through this new interactive experience, Budweiser fans will learn more about the brand's storied history and get a behind-the-scenes look at our Texas brewery and what I'm most proud of – the quality behind this beer."

The Houston brewery opened in 1966 and supplies beer to Texas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Mississippi, Arkansas, Mexico, Central and South America and the Caribbean.

The "Track Your Bud" platform includes a social application, available on iTunes or Android Market, which integrates with Facebook to connect beer drinkers with each other through the Budweiser they hold in their hand. Users also will be able to access video content, collect badges from each U.S. brewery and name batches of beer if they're the first to register a particular Born On date.

Cohen said that because great beer starts with great ingredients, Track Your Bud also gives consumers insight into where Budweiser's raw materials come from – which includes barley farms in Idaho, Montana, North Dakota, Minnesota and Wisconsin; and hop farms in Idaho, Washington, Oregon and Germany.

The site also details other facts about the Budweiser brewing process, including that brewmasters use the original Budweiser yeast culture strain from 1876 and still practice the time-honored process of Beechwood aging, which was commonly used by German immigrants to the United States in the 19th Century. Anheuser-Busch is the only major brewer that continues to use Beechwood aging.

"People respect Budweiser for its heritage, full flavor and legendary consistency," said Rob McCarthy, vice president, Budweiser. "But they also want a full view into their preferred brands, and Budweiser has a great story to tell. We want to tell it in a new way while demonstrating the pride, passion and craftsmanship at our breweries that's been the backbone of Budweiser for generations."

Anheuser-Busch's network of geographically diverse breweries and family of wholesalers give the company an advantage in getting the freshest beer possible to consumers. But if a consumer were to track a Budweiser through Track Your Bud that isn't within the recommended freshness range, the program also offers a feedback mechanism to let Budweiser know.

"Track Your Bud" is the latest in a series of initiatives from the brand. In 2010, Budweiser introduced a unifying global creative campaign – "Grab Some Buds" – and last year debuted a new global packaging look designed to fortify Budweiser's bond with consumers around the world and highlight Budweiser's iconic bowtie.

For more information about the new Budweiser "Track Your Bud" program, visit www.TrackYourBud.com or download the app.