If there’s one factor Gen Xers bear in mind higher than their youthful counterparts, it is the prevalence of fashionable commercials.
From Taco Bell’s well-known “Drop the Chalupa” to Chili’s unforgettable “baby back ribs” jingle that at all times managed to get caught in your head, promoting went a great distance again when extra individuals truly watched TV stay, versus getting their content material by streaming or having the ability to quick ahead by it.
However there’s maybe no extra well-known a industrial than Anheuser‑Busch’s traditional “Whassup?” marketing campaign, launched in 1999.
Ask anybody over the age of 40, they usually’ll let you know they in all probability cannot even have a look at a Budweiser with out invoking that annoying but hilarious catchphrase.
And that is not the one industrial Anheuser‑Busch is legendary for.
Budweiser’s Clydesdale adverts have been a Tremendous Bowl mainstay for so long as many people can bear in mind. And who can neglect these lovable croaking Budweiser frogs?
However whereas nostalgia could also be working in Anheuser‑Busch’s favor, it is laborious to miss the truth that the corporate has been dealing with some challenges.
And whereas Anheuser‑Busch is definitely not considering chapter at this stage, it is severely rethinking operations as demand for its core product declines.
A 75-year-old Anheuser-Busch brewery is closing.
Shutterstock/TheStreet
Anheuser-Busch’s iconic N.J. brewery to shut after 75 years
For roughly 75 years, Anheuser-Busch’s brewery in Newark, N.J., has been a fixture of the town. Now, the corporate says the well-known brewery will shut in early 2026 after being offered.
That is not the one location slated for closure. Anheuser-Busch’s breweries in Fairfield, California, and Merrimack, New Hampshire, have additionally landed on the chopping block.
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The corporate mentioned 475 staff throughout all three breweries shall be provided jobs at different amenities, together with relocation packages. Those that do not need to transfer shall be provided severance.
“We will be shifting production from these three facilities to our other U.S. facilities and these changes will enable us to invest even more in our remaining operations and in our portfolio of growing, industry-leading brands,” Anheuser-Busch mentioned, as reported by NJ.com.
The Newark facility is being offered to the Goodman Group, which “plans to repurpose the positioning for industrial manufacturing and logistics makes use of.”
Many of Anheuser-Busch’s most popular brands are brewed at the Newark facility, including:
- Budweiser
- Bud Light
- Busch
- Busch Light
- Natural Light
- Rolling Rock
Newark Mayor Ras J. Baraka said he was sad to learn of the news.
“I am sorry to see Budweiser leave our city after having called Newark home since 1951 and [being] part of so many families’ history here,” Baraka said in a statement. “But I’m glad to know that the brewery intends to take care of the employees by helping them relocate and retrain, or take a severance package.”
Anheuser-Busch brewery closures come amid industry struggles
Anheuser-Busch says its brewery closures do not reflect a downsizing on the company’s part.
But still, the news comes only two years after NBC News reported the company conducted a round of corporate layoffs following an ad campaign gone wrong. And the fact of the matter is Anheuser-Busch, like many of its counterparts, is feeling the impact of changing alcohol consumption patterns among consumers.
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Sales figures for Anheuser-Busch over the past year have been on the decline. The company’s U.S. revenue was down 1.2% in the first nine months of 2025, according to JustDrinks. Sales to retailers fell 3.1%, while sales to wholesalers dropped 3%.
In 2024, the company reported a 2% decline in U.S. revenue, with sales to retailers decreasing 5% and sales to wholesalers falling 3.9%.
Falling sales have not been limited to Anheuser-Busch. Overall beer volumes in the U.S. dropped by 3% in 2024, according to data from IWSR cited by Vinetur.
On a whole, U.S. beer production and imports were down 1% in 2024, while craft brewer volume sales fell by 4%, according to the Brewers Association.
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As more consumers reevaluate their alcohol habits and cut back, even giants like Anheuser-Busch will have to get increasingly creative to keep sales numbers up. That may mean introducing lower-alcohol or lower-calorie products to adapt to consumers’ broad push toward healthier drinking.
Either that, or come up with an even better commercial and hope that enough people manage to actually watch it.
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