Jay-Z Rebrands Bud

Jay-Z’s entrepreneurial endeavors have certainly never been limited to music alone, but a recent deal with Budweiser saw the rapper taking on a slightly new role – as a brand manager for a company battling a bit of a perception problem.

The King Of Beers’ sales have reportedly taken a slide in recent years among a younger generation of drinkers that may be more likely to choose a craft brew or Pabst Blue Ribbon over a Bud.

“One of our biggest challenges is really just to get people to notice us,” Budweiser VP Rob McCarthy told the Los Angeles Times. “Because we’re not new.”

To that end, the company decided to put a new spin on an old idea – concerts.

Budweiser debuted its Made In America music festival, a two-day event in Philadelphia curated and headlined by Jay-Z, Sept. 1-2.

Though Bud’s connection to concerts dates back to its SuperFest R&B series that ran from the late ’70s to the late ’90s, Made In America featured a wider cross-section of the musical landscape.

“It’s a property – Budweiser Made In America – that celebrates the diversity of young adult culture and experience,” McCarthy told the Times.

And that’s where Jay-Z came in. The rapper curated a lineup at Benjamin Franklin Parkway that included Pearl Jam, Drake, Skrillex, Run DMC, Miike Snow, Passion Pit and Gary Clark Jr., among others.

He also had a big hand in the event’s advertising and marketing, which afforded him an opportunity to engage in a bit of cross-promotion.

Translation, an advertising agency co-founded by Jay-Z, was hired to work on the fest, and Duracell Powermat, with which he has a joint venture, was advertised throughout the weekend, Forbes reported. 

Jay-Z used the fest to promote Rita Ora, the newest artist signed to his Roc Nation label, with a prime slot. He wore a Brooklyn Nets cap onstage and Ron Howard filmed the event for an upcoming documentary about Jay-Z.

Budweiser didn’t seem to mind, however. Organizers have called Made In America, which reportedly drew more than 80,000 people over the weekend, a success.