Anheuser-Busch is an American beer giant with a prestigious history.
The history began in the 1850s when German immigrant Adolphus Busch partnered with his father-in-law in the family brewery business. Their most successful brand, Budweiser, was launched in 1876. After the death of his father-in-law Eberhard Anheuser in 1880, Adolphus Busch became sole president, and the Anheuser-Busch Brewing Association remained under the control of the Busch family until 2008.
The company faced many challenges and survived the prohibition era by converting to non-alcoholic beverages and ice cream.
By the end of the 1950s, Anheuser-Busch was the largest brewer in the USA, and they launched international ventures in China and the UK. In 2008 InBev acquired Anheuser-Busch, uniting the top two largest brewing companies. The new company controls Budweiser, Bud Light, and Skol – the most popular beers in the world. The new parent corporation is Anheuser-Busch InBev, of which Anheuser-Busch is a subsidiary. Per USA Today, three of the best beers in the US were Bud Light, Michelob Ultra, and Budweiser.
Famous Anheuser-Busch trademarks
When you’re in the business for as long as Anheuser-Busch was, it’s hard not to acquire a wealth of intellectual property. Let’s look at some of the best-known registered trademarks of Anheuser-Busch, LLC.
Budweiser
Budweiser is an American-style pale lager. Budweiser is known for its distinctive taste. Unlike Czech beers, Budweiser is made up of rice alongside the standard barley hops and wheat malt typical of other larger. The Budweiser trademark was registered in 1907 and has been expanded several times since. The trademark currently applies to:
- Beer
- Malt liquor
- Aprons, wristbands, socks, and other clothing
- Radios, telephone receivers, and cameras
- Sunglasses
- Keychains
- Matches, ashtrays, lighters, and smoking paraphernalia
- Belt buckles and ornamental pins
- Drinking vessels, including beer steins and beer pails. Related accessories, including bottle openers, bottle holders, and insulated vessels
- Tote bags
- Umbrellas
- Shoes
- Clocks and watches
- Speaker boxes, including electrical speakers and Bluetooth speakers
- Jewelry
- Refrigerators
- Barbecue grills and accessories
- Entertainment services, namely, providing news and information in the field of beer and brewing
- Foods including sauces and marinades
- Guided tours of a brewery
- Restaurant and bar services
- Neon signs
- Pool tables and cues
- Dart boards and darts
- Golfing equipment and accessories, including golf bags, golf clubs, and golf ball retrievers
- Collectible trucks and cars
- Hockey equipment and accessories, including hockey pucks
- Fishing tools and accessories
- Playing cards, pens, pencils, writing paper, note paper, and other stationery
Stella Artois
Stella Artois is a Pilsner beer that was invented in 1926. The beer is sold extensively across Canada, Australia, and Europe, particularly the United Kingdom. Following its first use in 1926, the trademark for the brand name was registered for use in:
- Alcoholic beverages including bitters, brandy, and hard cider
- Online entertainment services, namely, providing online, non-downloadable gaming services and art exhibition services in a virtual environment and metaverse platforms and augmented reality platforms
- Provision of an online marketplace, metaverse platform, and augmented reality platform marketplaces for buyers and sellers of downloadable digital videos, art images, photos, advertisements, artistic and creative work, movie clips, beer, and other beverage product merchandise authenticated by non-fungible tokens (NFTs)
- Metal bottle openers and beer head cutters, namely, beer foam scrapers made primarily of metal
- Bottle openers, beer coolers, and other beer-related accessories
- Serving trays
- Paper napkins and coasters
- Entertainment services, including planning catering events
- Shirts, jackets, and other clothing
- Education services, namely, conducting workshops; providing training in the fields of responsible drinking and water preservation; entertainment services, namely, conducting parties, sporting, and cultural activities, namely organizing film festivals for cultural or entertainment purposes and conducting sports competitions
Original Anheuser-Busch logo (1886)
The first-ever trademark application submitted by Anheuser Busch was for the original logo. The original logo consists of the word “Budweiser” and the firm name “C. Conrad & Co” in connection with the monogram composed of the letters “C C & Co.” It was registered in 1886 for use in:
- Lager beer
- Ale and other malt beverages
Busch
The Busch wordmark was registered in 1996 for use in:
- Beer
- Aprons, blazers, t-shirts, and other clothing
- Neon signs
Busch Stadium
The Busch Stadium is a Major League Baseball Stadium based in St. Louis, Missouri. In 2004, then Anheuser-Busch president August Busch IV announced the purchase of the 20-year naming rights for the stadium. When it was announced, the team owner William Dewitt said: “From the day we began planning for the new ballpark, we wanted to keep the name ‘Busch Stadium.’ August Busch IV and Anheuser-Busch share our vision for continuing that tradition for our great fans and the entire St. Louis community.” The Busch Stadium trademark was registered in 2008 for use in:
- Non-luminous signs
- Head-ware and pants
- Cloth pennants and flags
- Ornamental novelty buttons
- Plaques made of glass
- Stickers and decals
- Stationery and books related to baseball
- Drinking vessels
Busch Gardens
Busch Gardens is the name of two theme parks owned and operated by Seaworld. The original park is in Tampa, Florida, and the second is in Williamsburg, Virginia. The Busch Gardens name was earlier used to refer to the gardens developed by Adolphus Busch in Pasadena, California. Following its first use in 1965, it was registered for use in:
- Jigsaw puzzles, toy swords, golf kits, inflatable water toys, fabric animals, board games, and other toys
- Towels
- Duffel bags, tote bags, beach bags, and other bags
- Decorative magnets
- Sunglasses and binoculars
- Providing entertainment and amusement park facilities
King of Beers
AB Inbev’s most popular beer brand, Budweiser, is often known as the ‘king of beers’. This phrase is trademarked and forms part of several logos. The wordmark was trademarked in 1968 for use in:
- Neon signs
- Hats, caps, shirts, jackets, and other clothing
- Beer
Related: Trademarking a slogan
AB InBev Foundation
The AB InBev Foundation is a charitable organization set up to help remedy the harmful effects of alcohol globally. The trademark was registered in 2019 for use in:
- Promoting the reduction of drinking (particularly harmful levels) based on science-backed research
- Charitable foundation services to promote public awareness of positive social and behavioral changes to reduce the harmful use of alcohol
- Providing financial support to steering committees to implement science-based initiatives to bring a positive change in behavior (to reduce the harmful use of alcohol)
- Providing a website and communication with up-to-date data and information related to reducing harmful alcohol intake
- Providing a website with information and links to the websites of others featuring articles, publications, programs, research, strategies, and information in the fields of reducing harmful drinking and the impact of harmful drinking on communities
Bud Light
One of Anheuser-Busch’s most significant beer trademarks is the Bud Light trademark, and the Bud Light trademark was registered after its first use in 1984. The trademark applies to:
- Pool cues, volleyball nets, dart boards, and other sports accessories
- Bags sold empty for equipment and sports
- Towels
- Serving trays
- Keychains
- Clocks and watches
- Beer
- Caps, hats, visors, and other clothing
Wrapping up
If you want exclusive rights to your marketing material and branding, you should submit a trademark registration in all jurisdictions you trade in. Anheuser-Busch (now InBev Anheuser Busch Inc) is one of the largest providers of alcohol and beer globally. They have an estimated net worth of more than 11.5 billion dollars. Currently, they have more than 600 trademarks (including pending applications) registered with the USPTO.
