Kräftig Light Launches New Ad Campaign Focusing on German Brewing Process, Reinheitsgebot

Discussion in 'Beer News' started by Jason, Apr 2, 2013.

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  1. Jason

    Jason Founder (0) Aug 23, 1996 Massachusetts

    ST. LOUIS (April 2, 2013) – St. Louis residents can attest to the fact that you don’t have to speak German to enjoy German beer. This simple idea led to the creation of a newly integrated advertising campaign for the William K Busch Brewing Company launching in St. Louis this week. The campaign features the company’s Kräftig Light brand and includes updates to theKräftig.com website, new billboards, radio and the company’s first television commercials.

    The off-beat humor of the “purity brewed campaign” is targeted at the light beer drinking consumer and celebrates the brand’s authentic German roots with a distinct, new American attitude. The bold, fresh product imagery in the ads was shot in a hyper clean, white environment to reinforce the backbone of the brand message of “purity brewed American beer”.

    “Kräftig Lager and Kräftig Light were created as a testament to St. Louis’ respect for the way Germans brew their beer,” said William K. Busch, president and chief executive officer. “Giving a nod to my German heritage, our products were given a German name and are brewed under the well-respected German beer purity law, Reinheitsgebot.”

    Reinheitsgebot, the oldest consumer protection law in the world, requires that only four ingredients be used when brewing beer – water, barley malt, yeast and hops.

    Fleishman-Hillard, the agency of record for the brewery, created the advertising and collaborated with Katzman Studios and Spot Creative for production.

    “Even though it’s distinctly German, the art of brewing beer and more importantly, enjoying it, transcends language,” said Tom Hudder, executive creative director at Fleishman-Hillard. “We wanted to deliver a lighthearted campaign that educates Americans on the benefits of Reinheitsgebot, and invites people to learn German the easiest way possible, by tasting.”



    For more information or to see some of the new advertising, please visit www.Kraftig.com or http://www.youtube.com/user/EnjoyKraftig.

    About William K Busch Brewing Company
    The William K Busch Brewing Company was established in 2011 by William K Busch, whose family legacy in the beer business dates back to the mid-1800’s when Adolphus A Busch opened a small brewery in St. Louis, Missouri. With its two brands, Kräftig Lager and Kräftig Light, this St. Louis-based company is not associated with ABInBev or any of its affiliates, and begins a new chapter in the Busch family brewing story. For more information, please visit www.Kraftig.com or http://Facebook.com/EnjoyKraftig
     
  2. jesskidden

    jesskidden Grand Pooh-Bah (3,071) Aug 10, 2005 New Jersey
    Pooh-Bah Society Trader

    Better check those old family records (if Carlos Brito let you guy take 'em after the, uh, recent "changes"), Bill.

    Adolphus' father-in-law, Eberhard Anheuser, the soap and candle manufacturer, bought into the small failing brewery of Hammer & Urban in St. Louis and eventually took it over, and hired his brewery supply salesman son-in-law to run the joint. He did do a pretty good job of it, as did the rest of the family up until... well, no need to go into that...:wink:
     
  3. Providence

    Providence Pooh-Bah (2,628) Feb 24, 2010 Rhode Island
    Pooh-Bah Society Trader

    Please go into that....I'd like to know more.
     
  4. Domingo

    Domingo Grand Pooh-Bah (4,206) Apr 23, 2005 Colorado
    Pooh-Bah Society

    I thought this was a clever April fools joke making fun of the term "crafty," but it appears to be real.
     
  5. jesskidden

    jesskidden Grand Pooh-Bah (3,071) Aug 10, 2005 New Jersey
    Pooh-Bah Society Trader

    :grinning:

    Not only that, but also in the family tradition, they even "borrowed" the brand name from another brewery,
    Kraftig Brewing Co., of Detroit, MI.

    [​IMG]

    OK, not exactly as long-lived or famous at those breweries' beers from Budweis...:wink:
     
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  6. herrburgess

    herrburgess Grand Pooh-Bah (3,053) Nov 4, 2009 South Carolina
    Pooh-Bah Society

    Funny thing is, Kraeftig means strong or robust in German. So the beer is "Strong Light." I'm still not convinced it isn't a joke....
     
  7. Chaz

    Chaz Grand Pooh-Bah (3,544) Feb 3, 2002 Minnesota
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    You mean to tell me that City Brewery contracts don't make it into supermarkets down that way? :wink:
     
  8. hallandoates

    hallandoates Initiate (0) Apr 1, 2013 Arkansas

    ::vomits in thread::
     
  9. jesskidden

    jesskidden Grand Pooh-Bah (3,071) Aug 10, 2005 New Jersey
    Pooh-Bah Society Trader

    Oh, it may well prove to be, but it's been a long set up so far-
    Nov. 2011- Billy Busch targets Bud drinkers with new beer

    Come to think of it, I said the same thing when I first heard of "Buffalo Bill's Pumpkin Ale" in the late '80's and look how many people (beer drinkers and brewers alike) fell for that one! :wink:
     
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  10. AlCaponeJunior

    AlCaponeJunior Grand Pooh-Bah (3,326) May 21, 2010 Texas
    Pooh-Bah Society

    Well I thought Kraftig was OK, not great, and I AM one who "rates to style" (i.e. I could easily give a lager a high rating despite the fact it's not an IPA/IIPA/RIS). It's not a craft beer revolution in the making.

    However... The craft beer geeks that drink bigfoot ale, Oak Aged Yeti, and DFH120, and those brew their own beer (like me) aren't the targets for this ad campaign. Most of the people posting here aren't the targets. It's the BMC masses that will like this stuff.

    That's ok tho, if a few BMC drinkers just get off the single-brand no matter what mentality and try something new, more power to Kraftig. I truly hope for their success. I'll even try the "light" sometime, and give it a fair rating for what it is. I bet it's real refreshing after a hard day's work, and most likely I'll wish it came in cans (see below).

    And you know, I've come to appreciate beer in all its forms. I just had a mickey's last week, and really enjoyed it. I had worked about 12 hours building a very complicated deck (so many angles... aaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!), and was covered head to toe (and lungs and hair and eyes) in sawdust. I was butt tired and thirsty, and didn't want iced friggin' tea, I wanted beer. So despite the fact that they had SNPA and Young's Chocolate Stout available, I bought a mickey's malt liquor. I appreciated the light-ness and ease of drinking, and the nice relaxed feeling I had as the 24oz can* went down. I wasn't ready to sit down and pour it in a glass and evaluate the color, aroma, depth of hops flavor, and head retention qualities, I didn't fucking care! I just wanted a beer, and I don't apologize for it! :grinning:

    Good luck Kraftig!

    *I know, the big-mouth bottles are better :rolling_eyes:
     
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  11. steveh

    steveh Grand Pooh-Bah (4,030) Oct 8, 2003 Illinois
    Pooh-Bah Society

    Okay -- that literally made me LOL! :grinning:
     
  12. jesskidden

    jesskidden Grand Pooh-Bah (3,071) Aug 10, 2005 New Jersey
    Pooh-Bah Society Trader

    Miller really has to jump on that new Crown-manufactured can that Sly Fox is using,
    for Mickey's Big Mouth Malt Liquor cans.
    [​IMG]
    I mean, C'mon.​
     
  13. AlCaponeJunior

    AlCaponeJunior Grand Pooh-Bah (3,326) May 21, 2010 Texas
    Pooh-Bah Society

    I am not extending the metaphor to cans. I won't go that far. :astonished:

    I realize a marketing gimmick when I see one. But for a malt liquor, I've really enjoyed mickey's over the years. And I do like the big-mouth bottles. :rolling_eyes:
     
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  14. jesskidden

    jesskidden Grand Pooh-Bah (3,071) Aug 10, 2005 New Jersey
    Pooh-Bah Society Trader

    Oh, that'd take a book... several, in fact. Luckily, a number of them exist (from one extreme to the other, and a number in between and more recent):

    [​IMG]
     
  15. Providence

    Providence Pooh-Bah (2,628) Feb 24, 2010 Rhode Island
    Pooh-Bah Society Trader

    I probably won't get around to those reads, but I appreciate the information.
     
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