Budweiser to rebrand as 'America' this summer for Fourth of July, Rio Olympics

ST. LOUIS, May 10 (UPI) -- The can is already red, white and blue.

Anheuser-Busch announced Tuesday that Budweiser will roll out a patriotic rebranding this summer -- with the word "America" on its cans and bottles for a few months.

Designed in partnership with the Jones Knowles Ritchie New York ad agency, Budweiser's new look is the focal point for its summer campaign, "America is in Your Hands."

"We are embarking on what should be the most patriotic summer that this generation has ever seen, with ... Team USA competing at the Rio 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games," the beer brand's vice president, Ricardo Marques, said in a statement Tuesday. "Budweiser has always strived to embody America in a bottle, and we're honored to salute this great nation where our beer has been passionately brewed for the past 140 years."

Anheuser-Busch will rebrand Budweiser cans and bottles this summer for its "America is in your hands" campaign, intended to inspire patriotism for events like the Summer Olympics in Rio de Janiero, Brazil, and the Fourth of July holiday. Photo courtesy Anheuser-Busch

Anheuser-Busch said the change is intended to inspire patriotism for the Summer Olympics, the Copa America Centenario soccer tournament, which will be held in the United States for the first time, the 100th anniversary of the National Park Service and, of course, the Fourth of July holiday.

The campaign will include billboards, murals, digital content, and additional surprises throughout the summer, the company said. The first ads featuring the new look will begin airing June 1.

Anheuser-Busch said the new cans and bottles will be on store shelves from May 23 through mid-September.