Hand Me a Cold Bottle of 'America,' Please

Anheuser-Busch confirmed this morning that beer drinkers may be reaching for a cold bottle of "America" this summer, as part of a six-month campaign called "America is in Your Hands." The brewing giant's latest patriotic campaign will start on May 23 and continue through the election in November. According to the press release, "these cans and bottles aim to inspire drinkers to celebrate America and Budweiser’s shared values of freedom and authenticity."

According to Advertising Age, Budweiser sought approval through the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau to replace the brand name with the word "America." Not only that, but patriotic phrases such as "E Pluribus Unum" and lyrics from "This Land Is Your Land" will also adorn the front of the label.

“We are embarking on what should be the most patriotic summer that this generation has ever seen, with Copa America Centenario being held on U.S. soil for the first time, Team USA competing at the Rio 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games,” said Ricardo Marques, vice president, Budweiser, in the press release. “Budweiser has always strived to embody America in a bottle, and we’re honored to salute this great nation where our beer has been passionately brewed for the past 140 years.”

Although a Budweiser spokesman declined to comment to Ad Age, it reported that Anheuser-Busch InBev U.S. Marketing VP Jorn Socquet also mentioned that Budweiser would "make use of" various events this summer as part of its summer marketing, including the Olympics — of which Budweiser is an official sponsor for the U.S. — and the Fourth of July celebrations.

New Budweiser cans will feature the word "America" in place of the brand name.

“You have this wave of patriotism that is going to go up and down throughout the summertime,” Socquet told Ad Age. “And we found with Budweiser such a beautiful angle to play on that sentiment.”

Budweiser has never been shy about the fact that it is proudly brewed in the land of stars and stripes. It is self-designated as "The Great American Lager" and the well-known Anheuser-Busch symbol is an eagle … standing on the American shield. The Washington Post referenced the push by Budweiser's advertising team to make sure the brand is seen as "an American institution," which has included patriotic TV plugs emphasizing the fact that the beer is "NOT IMPORTED" and past temporary packaging changes that featured a red, white and blue color scheme and the Statue of Liberty.

Not only is Budweiser going to introduce the boldly patriotic "America" packaging this summer, it is also going to release another version of cans and aluminum bottles featuring the Statue of Liberty torch, inspired by the six 2016 Olympic and Paralympic hopefuls from Team Budweiser.

What's interesting to consider are the implications of a company as large as Anheuser-Busch changing its labels on such a large scale. In the nationwide release of a highly circulated beer, there are sure to be major adjustments from a printing perspective.

Though the name change appears to just be a patriotic twist for the summer months, make sure when you saddle up to the bar, you remember to order yourself a bottle of "America," just to avoid any confusion.