Budweiser is paying tribute to Nelly with a limited-edition can to mark the 20th anniversary of the rapper’s breakout album. The move has been well received by residents of his native city St. Louis, demonstrating the power of celebrating regional American identities at a time of dwindling national pride. We explore the insights behind this and the benefits of championing regional identity at a time of polarization.
Twenty years after Nelly rose to fame with breakout album ‘Country Grammar’, Budweiser is honoring the acclaimed rapper with a limited edition beer can. The can replaces the Budweiser logo with the rapper’s name and portrait, and instead of the Budweiser creed, they have lines from the title song: "St. Louis where we from, you ain’t never heard a weak one." Only available within St Louis, the activation is stoking regional pride within the city. “It’s a little overwhelming [to be recognized by a company as iconic as Anheuser-Busch],” Nelly told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, “but it’s really dope, and it’s what you work for, and it’s definitely something to live up to and something to continue.”
Budweiser’s activation comes at a time when American patriotism is on the rocks. Between political polarization, widely-shared instances of police brutality, and Donald Trump’s divisive handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, Americans have been finding fewer reasons to celebrate their country. Even before the pandemic, national pride had dropped to its lowest level since Gallup began recording in 2001. As ‘being American’ ceases to be a cause for celebration for many, brands could do well to home in on the less divisive aspects of regional identity that remain a source of pride for many. For example, Hyundai’s Super Bowl 2020 ad put the Boston regional accent in the spotlight, and was received well by viewers.
Lottie Hanwell is a behavioural analyst at Canvas8. She has a degree in English Literature and Spanish, and spends a lot of time thinking, researching and writing about developments in society and culture. On her weekends, she likes to run, read and make a mess in the kitchen.
