Budweiser to Unveil Bowtie-shaped Can

Budweiser has said it will introduce a new bowtie-shaped aluminum can in a special 8-pack nationwide on May 6.

Budweiser’s bowtie can – which holds 11.3 ounces of beer due to its slimmer middle and sleek design – is a natural progression from the new packaging introduced in 2011 that emphasized the brand’s iconic bowtie logo, a symbol that first appeared in a national advertising campaign in 1956.

“This can is incomparable, like nothing you’ve ever seen before,” said Pat McGauley, VP of innovation for Anheuser-Busch. “The world’s most iconic beer brand deserves the world’s most unique and innovative can. I think we have it here.”

To make the new can possible, Anheuser-Busch made major equipment investments at Budweiser’s can-making facility in Newburgh, N.Y., as well as significant capital investments to upgrade packaging lines at the Budweiser breweries in Los Angeles and Williamsburg, Va.

The Anheuser-Busch Global Innovation Group has been investigating potential can innovations for several years. “We explored various shapes that would be distinguishable in the marketplace, but also viable from an engineering standpoint,” McGauley said. “Aluminum can be stretched only about 10 percent without fracturing, which requires that the angles of the bowtie be very precise.”

The launch of the can is being supported with a marketing campaign that includes digital, print and television. The 8-pack will be available in grocery stores and supermarkets, convenience stores and packaged liquor stores.

Anheuser-Busch’s other upcoming packaging innovations include a 25-ounce can that replaces the 24-ounce. Sales of this new can will begin this summer.

St. Louis-based Anheuser-Busch brews Budweiser and Bud Light, two of the world’s largest-selling beers. The company is a wholly owned subsidiary of Anheuser-Busch InBev, the leading global brewer.