Digital Advertising | Western Technical College | Spring 2022
Lime-A-Rita. Drink it in…Or not?
A decade ago, Lime-A-Rita it was a summertime staple in coolers everywhere. Now, it’s obsolete. What happened? Today, on the Schmitz Show, I investigate this sweet summertime beverage that eventually soured with the public, from its humble roots to explosive popularity, and ultimate demise.
2012: Origins
To understand the full magnitude of the Lime-A-Rita saga, we must go back to the beginning. Picture this: 2012, Anheuser-Busch headquarters. After catching word that beer drinkers were mixing bud-light lime with margaritas, A-B’s marketing team launched a new product to capitalize on this trend. They called it Lime-A-Rita.
In a petite 8 oz can, L-A-R packed a punch with a whopping 8% alcohol content. Whoop! It was as light and refreshing as a summertime margarita but came in a convenient can. No blaring blenders, no expensive tequila, no slushy mess. A margarita you can toss in your cooler and take to the beach. In typical Anheuser-Busch fashion, the company target marketed to its usual consumer base: male beer drinkers. Little did they know there was a huge cash cow just waiting to be tapped: women.*
*Author’s note: I am actively seeking alternative phrasing for this sentence.
2017: Let’s go girls! A-B Pivots.
It wasn’t until 2017, that Anheuser-Busch woke up and smelled the limes. Market research revealed that the primary consumer base for L-A-R was predominantly women. The Ad men at A-B scratched their heads and looked blankly at each other, “Women? But how do we market to them?”
They called their moms who instructed them to hire an all women team to spearhead the Lime-A-Rita branch, and market the product exclusively to women. This was a foreign concept at A-B, but they were too afraid to disobey their mothers. Thus, the pivot persevered, and Lime-A-Rita became A-B’s first official lady-drink.
2017: L-A-R scores with NFL!
The 2017 L-A-R Women’s Pivot turned the Anheuser-Busch Corporation upside down on their (high) heels.
“Did you know that they even like football?” Mr. Anheuser asked Mr. Busch on the phone, “Apparently they make up 45% of NFL fans! “
“Who’da thunk it? Golly! The times sure are a changin’! And by changin’ I mean putting change in my pocket! Ha ha ha!” cackled Mr. Busch slapping his knee, “The NFL is always a huge score for us! Men or women, just show me the green!”
Lime-A-Rita went on to become an official sponsor of the NFL in 2017, as a means of marketing to the crossover demographic of women NFL fans, a smart marketing move on their part. Things were looking fruitful for Lime-A-Rita and for Mr. Anheuser and Busch’s wallets.
Trash-a-rita
Just when they thought it was too good to be true, the backlash came. Because of chauvinistic undertones in our society, L-A-R association with being a women’s drink attracted the derogatory labels that also get slapped onto women, like “trashy” “gross” and “basic bitch.” These sexist stereotypes are perpetuated not only by men but also by women who persistently judge and shame each other.
How did Lime-a-Rita respond to this negative PR? Did they tone down their ads to include proper ladies daintily sipping ‘Ritas round the knitting circle? No. They responded in away that would appeal to progressive millennials. They said FU I am not going to apologize. Why should women be shamed for the same behavior that is applauded in men? Ladies and gentlemen, it’s time we get out of the 1950’s.
Nothing green can stay
I, Danielle Schmitz, admittedly, am a former Rita-holic. No one could slam an 8 oz can like a Schmitz. However, now my teeth and gut rot just thinking about it. It is too sickly sweet and provokes a visceral reaction akin to Mountain Dew or Sun Drop.
Was it the drama of the ad campaign and backlash that foundered L-A-R? In my opinion no. It was a general shift in the American diet to actively cut-back on sugar intake, especially among women. “Skinny” drinks became the new preference. With 150 calories per 8 oz can, Lime-a-Rita lost its appeal and had women everywhere apologizing to their diets. Former L-A-R customers (Like yours Schmitz truly) now opt for spiked seltzers sweetened with stevia instead of sucrose. Anheuser-Busch now offers various low-calorie alcoholic beverage options. Their moms are unapologetic consumers of these products and can often be spotted tearing up the clubs in snake-skinned high heels and short skirts.
