Dive Brief:

• Busch Light is distributing free solar cookers at fire departments across Colorado through Labor Day weekend in an attempt to combat forest fires, per information shared with Marketing Dive.
• The promotion was inspired by the growing rate of wildfires, with approximately 89% being caused by humans annually, according to data cited by the AB InBev brand. Many man-made forest fires are the result of poorly attended or extinguished campfires.
• The solar cookers, which are available in limited numbers, use the sun to cook food, eliminating the need for flames. They are part of a larger initiative from the brewer known as “For The Forest,” which is aimed at protecting the environment by providing safer alternatives.

Dive Insight:

Busch Light’s latest environmental initiative follows a long line of concepts that attempt to align the light beer with outdoor culture. In addition to the cooker, the brand has pledged a cents-per-case donation in Colorado through Sept.15. Money raised will be given to One Tree Planted, an organization focused on reforestation.

The flameless cookers further establish the brewer’s outdoor image, while positioning itself as environmentally friendly. Colorado was chosen because the state has been hit particularly hard by wildfires, with four out of five of the state’s largest occurring in the past five years.

“The impact of forest fires has been devastating to America’s great outdoors, with the threat continuing to increase each year,” said Krystyn Stowe, head of marketing at the Busch Family Brands at Anheuser-Busch, in a statement. “As the beer brewed for the great outdoors, Busch Light feels an obligation to contribute to the conservation of our nation’s tree-lined vistas from the threat of forest fires.”

For consumers outside of Colorado, Busch Light has partnered with former “Top Chef” star Carrie Baird to create a Busch Light-infused recipe of beer bratwursts with spicy peach salsa.

This isn’t Busch Light’s first Colorado-based initiative. In September 2021, the brand unveiled “TreeWork,” a temporary outdoor remote working space featuring campfires and Busch Light happy hours. Other environmental initiatives by the brewer include the “Save a tree, pee in a Busch” campaign that encouraged consumers to urinate into an empty can of Busch Light instead of on a tree. To date, the brand has donated $1 million to outdoor-related causes. 

Beyond its environmental purpose, the move could also be seen as a way to gain additional loyalty within the state and perhaps turn some heads away from its competitor, Coors Light, which originated in Colorado. A nod to its roots, the mountain featured on Coors Light packaging, Wilson Peak, is located in its home state.