Guy Gangi, Director Brand Strategy, Planning and Design
Thoughts by Guy Gangi,
Director of Brand Strategy, Planning and Design
Budweiser this week unveiled a new can design, which has only been modified 12 times since it first hit the market in 1936. The new face of the brand is causing shockwaves through the design community. An iconic brand like Budweiser usually does not make such a radical packaging design.
Designers determine brand equity using the tools of design: color, form, typography, imagery and function of the design as well as consumer perceptions. A more subtle redesign similar to that of Coca-Cola circa 2008 by the firm Turner Duckworth, would be a safer move. The Budweiser new design pushes the limits further. The Coca-Cola redesign focused on a deep dive into the rich history of Coca-Cola to uncover the original brand equities that had had been tinkered with over the decades. By reincorporating those equities back into the design, consumers were able to align with the playfulness and authenticity they associated with the brand from the past.
Budweiser design history
Has Bud lost equity? Have they gone too far? Will the emotional connections with the Budweiser brand be sustained or will consumers wonder, “What happened to my Budweiser?” I imagine that Budweiser would not risk their flagship brand’s market share or reputation without excessive and thorough consumer research, market testing and consumer validation.
So why did Bud make such a radical change? Are traditional design conventions the most effective determination of brand equity? Or are consumers more discerning and perceptive than they are given credit for? Only time will tell for the Clydesdales.