Anheuser-Busch has launched its Bud.TV website.
“We’re following the consumer in many ways,” said Tony Ponturo, vice president of global media and sports marketing at A-B’s domestic brewing company. “Because this consumer group is so intrigued by the Internet, it makes sense.”
The St. Louis Post-Dispatch explains:
Some A-B commercials are “content” in their own right — considered by viewers to be attractions rather than interruptions.
Executives believed A-B could “stretch this concept beyond the 30-second” commercial, said Ponturo, who is leading the online venture. “We understand how to provide relevant content. … We came to the conclusion that it was worth the old college try.”
As previously announced, another thing different about this site is that users will not be allowed in based on the “honor system” A-B uses at other of its sites (as do most beer companies).
Potential users seeking to enter Bud.TV first must register, providing a name, birth date and home ZIP code. Washington-based Aristotle Inc. will verify each person’s age by immediately checking the information against databases, such as drivers license records and voter registration lists.
If Aristotle can’t confirm an age of 21 or older, the person won’t be allowed access to Bud.TV.