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© History Oasis
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1890s-present
Budweiser’s original slogan was “King of Bottled Beer,” starting in the late 1800s when Budweiser was primarily sold in bottles. The slogan was changed to “King of Beers” in the mid-twentieth century with the advent of aluminum cans. According to company lore, Adolphus Busch adapted the slogans from Budějovice, which means “The Beer of Kings.” A phrase from the 16th century. The slogan evolved through three phases:
“King of Bottled Beer” → “King of All Bottled Beers” → “King of Beers”
1970s-1990s, revived in 2024
Miller reformulated and rebranded the Meister Brau Lite beer as Miller Lite in the 1970s. When rebranding, they found that drinkers found the beer to be less filling, and they did not realize it was a light beer. But the taste was good. The vintage campaign featured former stars John Madden and Bob Uecker. Miller Lite revived the campaign in 2024 with a new all-star cast.
1979-1994
In 1979, Budweiser introduced the campaign “Salute to the Worker” ads with the “This Bud’s for you” slogan. The campaign was created by D’Arcy Masius Benton & Bowles. The commercials featured a bunch of working men toiling hard in the field. It was created for harsh economic times; it posited Budweiser as the beer of choice for blue-collar workers.
1893-1982
The Great Chicago Fire killed hundreds and destroyed large tracts of the city of Chicago, including many of its breweries. Sometime after the fire, Schlitz sent hundreds of barrels of beer to the city. This earned Schlitz the nickname “the beer that made Milwaukee famous.” The company made the slogan official at the World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago in 1893.
1996-2000s, still used occasionally
Abbott Mead Vickers BBDO used this slogan as a successful pitch to secure the Guinness account in 1996. It was created to turn negative consumer opinion of the time required to correctly pour a pint of Guinness from the tap, usually quoted as 119.5 seconds. It was used in the “Good Things...” campaign and the famous “Surfer” commercial.
1973-2011, 2019-present
Carlsberg’s tagline, “Probably the best lager in the world,” was created in 1973 by Tony Bodinetz at KMP for the UK market. From the 1980s onwards, it appeared in corporate ads around the world until it was replaced in 2011. The voice-over for the original ad in 1983 was voiced by actor Orson Welles. The company has since returned to different versions of the slogan.
1970s
Another Budweiser jingle, “When You Say Budweiser, You’ve Said It All,” also with music and lyrics by Steve Karmen, was published a year earlier in 1970, and part of its lyrics inspired “Here Comes the King.” The company carried the slogan into the early 1970s advertising, in which the label was shown covering the bottom of a swimming pool, a rec room floor, and a hot-air balloon, accompanied by the slogan, “When you say Budweiser . . . you’ve said it all”. The jingle became so popular that college marching bands adopted it, with Georgia Tech claiming to be first.
Dates: 1957-1960s
In 1957, Budweiser took over the No. 1 spot in the beer market. This was largely due to their newest advertising campaign, which used real photography for the first time. The campaign featured real people in casual situations. Its slogan, “Where there’s life, there’s Bud,” used Budweiser’s nickname for the first time. It was also the first major campaign to use “Bud” as a nickname for Budweiser.
1970s-1980s
This slogan became synonymous with the end of the workday and relaxation. Miller positioned their beer as the reward for hard work. The phrase entered American lingo as an expression for happy hour.
1978-1980s
Coors used this energetic slogan to market its beer as refreshing and liberating. The campaign often featured outdoor activities and emphasized the beer’s Rocky Mountain origins. It also used “Brewed with Pure Rocky Mountain Spring Water” as a key selling point.
1998-2008
This Bud Light slogan was created by DDB Chicago. The campaign spoofed earnest tribute songs by praising everyday eccentrics in over 200 radio and TV spots. It featured humorous tributes to characters like “Mr. Really Bad Dancer” and “Mr. Way Too Much Cologne Wearer.” Each song featured a male voiceover paired with a vocalist. It would become one of Bud Light’s longest-running and most beloved initiatives.
1970s-present
The Silver Bullet nickname and slogan date back to the 1970s when Coors found success selling beer in a can. The nickname can be attributed to the can’s silver hue and the explosive refreshment that Coors beer provides. According to AdAge, the Coors Brewing Company adopted an “if you can’t beat ’em, join ’em” attitude, and they created the Silver Bullet brand to increase the presence of Coors beer in emerging markets.
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