Deuce Studio creates limited-edition Budweiser can for 2021 Labour Day campaign

London-based brand design agency, Deuce Studio, worked with American-style lager brand, Budweiser, to create a limited-edition can for its 2021 Labour Day campaign, in celebration of working Americans.

For the campaign, Deuce aimed to ‘Raise a Bud’ by asking Budweiser drinkers to nominate a hard-working American, either a friend, family member or colleague in their life. Entrants posted a picture and story of them on Instagram, Twitter or Facebook using #RaiseABud #Contest and tagging @budweiserUSA.  Of the nominated workers, 10 finalists will receive their name embossed on a personalised, custom-made Labour Day Budweiser can, with one individual winning three months’ worth of wages paid by Budweiser.

The campaign aims to achieve Budweiser’s larger brand objective, of connecting with consumers in a relevant way through culture, explains Jake Vizek, senior brand director at Budweiser.

“At Budweiser a big part of what we do is to champion American spirit and ordinary people doing extraordinary things. We feel the campaign Deuce has delivered does exactly that, by celebrating labourers and everything they have done to keep the country going in what has been a challenging few years,” he says.

The campaign was informed by three core elements that underpin the Budweiser consumer: blood, representing Budweiser’s heritage and ancestral roots: sweat, symbolising how the Covid-19 era has highlighted the importance of workers but also their vulnerability to job loss: and beers, showing how the brewing industry  provides jobs to many Americans.

“When developing the Labor Day campaign, it was important to keep the focus on the workers and the contributions they’ve made. We took visual cues from the time period that Labour Day originated to pay homage to previous generations of workers as well as today’s,”  says Richard Patrick, creative director and co-founder of Deuce Studio.

The Labour Day cues are central in the design of the personalised winner’s can. The winner’s name on the can is preceded by a piece of bespoke typography inspired by the late 19th century era of the first Labour Day, reading ‘This Bud’s For You’. The can also includes a reworked insignia made to resemble a medallion and a customised beer glass illustration.

In addition to the limited edition can design, Deuce created an accompanying website to complement the initial social media campaign and expand on the experience by featuring some of the nominated workers' stories. The website also includes the history of Labour Day and how it has impacted American workers.

The studio hoped to appeal to Budweiser’s target consumer’s values of authenticity and patriotism, and ultimately create a campaign that reinforces Budweisers values and ambitions as a brand.