Now that Anheuser Busch Has Been Sold to InBev What Will Happen to the Ads?

The big story here in St. Louis over the past few weeks has been the sale of Anheuser Busch to the Belgian beer giant InBev. There was a lot of local opposition to the sale but the brewery's shareholders finally gave in when the offering price was increased. The old saying used to be that St. Louis was "First in Booze, First in Shoes, and First in Blues." Alas that's not true any more, especially after the sale. Its not just concern about losing one of the area's biggest employers but it's also about the great unknown. We know that jobs are probably going to be lost and costs cut, but what about all the other things that Busch as a corporation has done for the area, the charitable contributions, and the wildlife preserve, Grant's Farm? And weirdly enough, more people have expressed concern about what will happen to the world famous Clydesdale horses that pull the Bud wagon despite InBev CEO Brito's assertion that they will not be harmed.

Probably one of the reasons that people are so concerned about the advertising icons is that Anheuser Busch has conducted one of the most memorable and effective marketing campaigns over the years. The brewery has always been an innovator and that is part of the reason they sell more beer than anyone else. Back when all of the breweries started they were strictly regional. This was before the days when refrigeration was readily available and if you tried to ship beer out of state it would spoil. If you wanted fresh beer you had to go down to your local tavern and get a jug or "growler" full. Busch was the first brewery to have refrigerated rail cars to transport their beer across the country. They even had ice stations set up along the way. During Prohibition they were also one of the few breweries to make the transition from selling beer to selling non-alcoholic products successfully. And they were one of the first to advertise their products. Over the years they have literally not only become the "King of Beers" but also the "King of Ads" as well. (www.wikipedia.com)