BUSCH BEER IS SAVING OUR NATIONAL FORESTS BY OPENING A POP-UP "SCHOP"
The Beer Company Tries its Hand at Cause Marketing
Busch Beer announced this week a foray into cause marketing, a move that probably surprised just about everyone. Busch, known as the budget friendly beer typically enjoyed by flannel-wearing Americans (according to their ads), is not typically known for taking a stance on environmental issues.
Until this week. They announced, via a YouTube video, that the brand will be opening a pop-up shop this weekend hidden in an undisclosed (until today) National Forest, somewhere in the US.
Busch Beer, Environmental Activists
Curious consumers have been directed to the company’s Twitter page, where they promised to give out clues as to where the pop-up “schop” might be. At the time of this writing, the clues have narrowed the location to somewhere in the Mark Twain National Forest, which is in Missouri. With St. Louis being the home to their corporate headquarters, it makes pretty good sense.
Clue #1: Put on your drinking -- err, thinking -- cap and fill in the blank...#BuschPopUp is located in the U__A. pic.twitter.com/gF312s2a7y
— Busch Beer (@BuschBeer) July 16, 2019
Clue #2 is brought to you by the man in the flannel. Can you guess which state he’s in?
— Busch Beer (@BuschBeer) July 17, 2019
Stay tuned and keep solving our clues, so you can join Busch Guy at the #BuschPopUp this Saturday. pic.twitter.com/tEPCSrIGbQ
Clue #3: We love all forests. But this one is extra special, because our #BuschPopUp calls it home. Can you guess which of the @NationalForests we’re in?
— Busch Beer (@BuschBeer) July 18, 2019
Stay tuned and keep solving our clues, so you can join Busch Guy at the #BuschPopUp this Saturday. pic.twitter.com/gWl1CYn1c8
The “cause” portion of this all-in-good-fun publicity stunt is to encourage people to get out and explore our country’s lovely National Forests, while also potentially searching for the secret store. Those who are lucky enough to crack the code will not only get a chance at free beer for life, they will also represent 100 trees that will be planted by the Natural Forest Foundation on their behalf.
This coincides with the company’s partnership with the NFF, who on Earth Day last year vowed to plant 50 million trees in America’s National Forests by the year 2023. While the partnership might sound a little odd, in context it actually makes pretty good sense. This is from the Busch website:
“Whether you fish, hunt, or hike, we at Busch know there’s nothing better than enjoying a crisp, cold Busch outside. So we’re doing our part to ensure these lands stay healthy and vibrant for generations to come by partnering with the National Forest Foundation to plant more trees.”
Cause marketing has been a popular trend for brands in the last few years. As research has shown millennials are more likely to buy from brands who show an interest in the betterment of society, and that’s probably a demographic Busch is eager to reach.
All in all, it’s a fun concept that will hopefully get a few more people out and about this weekend, and ultimately, get a few more trees in the ground. Plus, someone is getting free beer for life! As long as they remember to clean up after themselves, it should be a win-win for all parties involved. Happy hiking, folks.