USA: Busch Beer Celebrates 50th Anniversary

In 1955, August A. (Gussie) Busch, Jr. introduced BUSCH Bavarian beer on national television - the first time a Busch family member appeared in a TV commercial.

Anheuser-Busch, Inc. is commemorating this 50-year milestone with commemorative cans and bottles that will be available May through August. In 1979, Anheuser-Busch dropped Bavarian from its name. BUSCH holds a noted place in Anheuser-Busch history as the first new brand after the repeal of prohibition. The BUSCH family has become the largest brand family in the value brand category and the 4th largest domestic brand family overall.

"We're excited to offer commemorative packaging to celebrate our brand's history," said Danny Scott, director of marketing, tactical brands, Anheuser- Busch, Inc. "We think our beer drinkers will really like the nostalgia of the packaging."

In addition to the packaging, a commemorative stein and other promotional items such as neons, tap handles, trays and metal coolers will be available.

This year, BUSCH beer introduced new television and radio advertising featuring Blues Traveler's "The Mountains Win Again," using the theme of outdoors activities such as mountain climbing, white water rafting and fishing. The traditional BUSCH mountains, streams, Busch pneumonic and stallions are being used.

BUSCH beer is a longtime supporter of NASCAR and BASS. This year marks the 24th year BUSCH will serve as the title sponsor of the NASCAR BUSCH Series. The brand is the "Official Beer of BASS" and sponsors the BUSCH Shootout, a year-long competition that gives anglers the opportunity to earn a spot in an end-of-season one-day championship tournament with prize money totaling $200,000.

Based in St. Louis, Anheuser-Busch is the leading American brewer holding 50 percent of the U.S. beer market. The company is American- owned and brews the world's largest-selling beers, Budweiser and Bud Light. Anheuser-Busch also holds a 50 percent share in Grupo Modelo, Mexico's leading brewer, and a 27 percent share in Tsingtao, the No. 1 brewer in China. Anheuser-Busch ranked first in the U.S. beverage industry in FORTUNE magazine's 2005 "America's Most Admired Companies" and in the top 30 on FORTUNE's 2005 "Global Most Admired Companies" list. The company is one of the largest theme park operators in the United States, is a major manufacturer of aluminum cans and is the world's largest recycler of aluminum beverage containers.

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