Czech state-owned brewer Budějovický Budvar is taking aim at Anheuser-Busch InBev’s Budweiser brand in its latest activation in the UK.
Rolling out across the country this month, the campaign positions the company’s namesake Budvar brand alongside a pixelated image of a bottle of Budweiser. The marketing will run on social media backed by out-of-home presence.
“The independent-owned brand will be taking over the streets with big, bold billboards that draw dramatic distinctions between the authentic Czech lager and its American namesake,” the company said. “Meanwhile, on social media, Budvar will be busy engaging with lager enthusiasts who are thirsty for knowledge through a mixture of fun facts, quirky quizzes, interactivity and insight.”
Budvar, headquartered in the Czech city of České Budějovice, has had legal rows running with AB InBev in most markets for over a century. The trademark disputes stem from the fact that the city was called Budweis when part of Austria-Hungary in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
