Stampede Light Beer a Vitamin Beer?

Well, I've been in marketing for a long time, and I've seen a lot of ways to spin products. Stampede Light Beer is rewriting the book for beer marketing. Aside from the clever and somewhat risqué video at their website (there's a link in the final paragraph of this article), the Stampede Light Beer website also features images associated with fitness. The site makes reference to Vitamin Water, free range chickens, and other products associated with health conscious consumers. Stampede Light Beer is actually marketing itself as a healthy product for beer drinkers.

Healthier Ingredients?

In fact one of the tag lines from the history section of the site says Stampede Light Beer is a "better style of beer geared toward active people who care about the ingredients that go into what they eat and drink." Well, that's interesting, but let's look at what's in Stampede Light Beer. According to their own marketing materials, Stampede Light Beer is made with pure mountain spring water. Ok, what beer isn't? The finest German hops, check. American malted barley, another check mark, but what's different and better? Ok, the final ingredient is an infusion of smoked white oak chips for flavor. Well, that's different, but not healthier, and I'm not entirely sure I want an oak flavored beer. Then we find out that it's infused with B vitamins, folic acid, and folate. Vitamin beer? I never thought I'd see people going down to the store and pick-up a twelve pack of vitamins for a week-end barbecue. I suppose you want to stay in peak shape for a good game of horseshoes, though. I don't know about you, but I know some people who are going to be very, very healthy if this new product works.

Beer is Good for Your Health?

They provide links to actual studies showing that drinking beer is actually good for your health. While those studies universally show that drinking one or at most two beers a day is good for you, reading a little deeper shows the opposite effect if you keep going after those one or two beers. A single alcoholic beverage can lower your blood pressure and provide other health benefits as well. More than one, however, and your blood pressure starts rising. Marketing Stampede Light Beer as good for you is more than a little deceptive unless they remind you to only drink one beer a day. I somehow couldn't find that last part in any of their marketing.

Never Heard of Stampede Light Beer?

You will. Stampede Light Beer has just announced the hiring of Jessica Simpson as their new spokesperson. The Dallas-based company has hired Dallas Quarterback Tony Romo's girlfriend to make sure that you do hear about Stampede Light Beer. In a press release Simpson was quoted as saying ""Yes, I work out and take care of myself, but I also like a cold beer once in a while." Based on the video at the website that I mentioned earlier, I'm afraid to imagine what the Stampede Light Beer Superbowl Commercial might look like this year. To see it for yourself, use this link, skip the intro., and click on the TV screen icon at the top left of the page. The Dallas Morning News reported that Jessica Simpson received a 15% ownership stake in the company in exchenge for her services.