Through the decades, the Budweiser label and its typography had become a lackluster distorted copy-of-a-copy-of-a-copy. Globally, Budweiser had become visually disjointed and each market had different needs from a redesign. The brand lacked cohesion and needed to increase quality and premium perceptions in growing markets. In North America, the brand suffered from decades of decline in market share and lacked relevance with millennial consumers. The brief was to bridge the gap between the iconic brand, as it exists in the minds of consumers and the incoherent design language that had come to represent it.

Globally, the brand had become a symbol of freedom. The design strategy was based on the principles of the American dream... a drive to succeed and hard work. We called it “Bold Spirit & Crafted Soul.” Reflecting the brands role as a leader, the design language needed to buck outdated trends and demonstrate confidence.

After an immersion in the Budweiser archives, the team drew inspiration from the best parts of the packaging’s 140 year legacy of iconography. Every typographic element of the iconic packaging, over 14 custom type specimens, were painstakingly redrawn and crafted. The brand’s affected “Bowtie” logo lacked geometry or rational and was redrawn in a functional two color version. To drive global cohesion, a custom sans serif was created, inspired by the 19th century American industrial type used on the original Budweiser bottle. “Bud Bold” is heavy and impactful with nuanced contrast, perfectly suited for the confident voice of the brand.

The redesigned visual identity system and packaging finally unified the brand across the globe. The simplified design language has allowed for fresh and dynamic brand activations, regaining relevance with young consumers. This premiumization and brand behavior, promoted through the new design, has driven Budweiser up the 100 Best Global Brands ranking.