Budweiser is bringing a few old friends home for the holidays. The Clydesdales are back on limited-edition cans, the annual Holiday Stein is returning for its 47th installment, and a new anniversary crate gives collectors something to clear a shelf for.
The holiday push closes out the brand’s 150th anniversary year, pairing familiar seasonal imagery with new gifts, merchandise and fan experiences. For a brand with a century and a half of history, the creative cupboard is pretty well stocked.
This year’s holiday cans feature a 1910s-inspired vintage design on the front, with the Budweiser Clydesdale hitch moving through snow outside the historic St. Louis brewery. Available nationwide while supplies last, the packaging draws on the horses and winter scenes that have helped define Budweiser’s holiday advertising.
“For generations, Budweiser has been part of the traditions that bring people together during the holidays,” said Todd Allen, senior vice president of marketing for Budweiser at Anheuser-Busch. “As we celebrate our 150th anniversary, we’re proud to build on that legacy with new ways for fans to celebrate the holidays, while honoring the people and shared moments that make the most festive time of year so special.”
New to the lineup is the Budweiser 150th Anniversary Crate Contest. The American-made collectible incorporates original printing plates from historic Anheuser-Busch beer crates and holds items crafted or produced in St. Louis.
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Inside is a special bottle of Budweiser, a handmade bottle opener and a custom stein depicting the Clydesdales leaving the brewery. Only 150 of those steins were made, each hand-numbered and finished with a pewter lid and silver and gold embellishments.
Through November 18, fans ages 21 and older can enter for a chance to win a crate by posting what they’re raising a glass to this year on Instagram, Facebook or X using #Bud150Crate and #Contest.
The brand is also giving its archives the coffee-table treatment with Budweiser: 150 Years of the King of Beers. The book brings together historic advertising, archival photography, memorabilia and the story of the Clydesdales, tracing the brand’s place in American culture through the people and imagery behind it.
For advertising fans, that may be the most interesting piece of the collection. Budweiser has spent generations building a visual identity that extends well beyond the label, and the book offers a closer look at how those familiar symbols developed.
The holiday merchandise collection includes the $30 anniversary Holiday Stein, a $30 Holiday Truck T-shirt, a $65 Clydesdales anniversary crewneck and a $60 anniversary can crewneck. Budweiser also teased an opportunity for fans to receive a delivery at home from the Clydesdales.
The anniversary gives Budweiser plenty to celebrate. The holiday campaign makes the most of the things its audience already knows by heart.
