Budweiser Canada Removes 'Bud' from Its Name to Show That ‘It’s Not the Same without Your Buds'

For International Friendship Day on July 30th, Budweiser Canada released the Budweiser Friendship Survey, conducted by Ipsos (June 2023), which found that almost 70 per cent of men see their friends less in-person as they get older.

Based on internal research, 34 per cent of beer servings were consumed alone in 2022 in Canada, an increase of 14 per cent over the last decade. As a brand in Canada known for bringing buds together, this prompted the question: are Canadian men getting together less with their friends? This sparked Budweiser to seek external, third-party insights to shed light on male friendship trends today.

"There's no denying that as people get older – especially men – they see their friends less, but it doesn't have to be this way," said David Sheedy, senior marketing director, Budweiser Canada. "Thanks to our data, we now know that men feel spending quality time with friends improves their wellbeing, so as a leading brand in Canada, Budweiser is aiming to inspire friends nationally to make time for their buds."

With this in mind, Budweiser Canada alongside agency Anomaly Toronto are encouraging men to take action with their newest campaign.

To tease the launch, the brand temporarily removed 'Bud' from its social channels, partnership branding with Sportsnet, as well as a limited run of its iconic bottle labels, turning key visuals of 'Budweiser' (or rather _weiser), into a reminder to connect with your buds.

To help amplify the message, Budweiser released a powerful hero film interviewing several Canadian men, which emphasises how important friends are in our lives. 

"Male friendships are often described as 'shoulder to shoulder' meaning we get together through structured activities, like watching sports," said Sheedy. "Our goal is to motivate men to deepen their connections and turn expressions like, 'let's grab a beer' into action. We hope consumers coast-to-coast take advantage of our ticket giveaways and gift card offerings to enjoy a beer with their friends this summer, because that's what buds do."