Just ahead of the Labor Day holiday weekend, Anheuser-Busch today launched its next hard seltzer, Bud Light Platinum Seltzer, nationwide.
Bud Light Platinum Seltzer bumps up the ABV to 8% from A-B’s previous hard seltzer brands Bud Light Seltzer (5% ABV), Natural Light Seltzer (6% ABV), Bon & Viv (4.5% ABV) and Social Club Seltzer (7%).
The 8% ABV puts Bud Light Platinum Seltzer in line with higher ABV products from market leaders Boston Beer Company’s Truly Extra and Mark Anthony Brands’ White Claw Surge, which has yet to launch and is rumored to be on the stronger ABV side. Existing harder seltzers include Pabst Stronger Seltzer (8% ABV) and Four Loko Hard Seltzer (12%).
The Platinum Seltzer comes in three flavors — Citrus, Wild Berry and Blood Orange — and will be sold in 12 oz. slim can variety 6-packs and single flavor 6-packs. The Wild Berry flavor will also be available in 25 oz. and 16 oz. single-serve cans.
The seltzer checks in at 170 calories and is made with cane sugar, sparkling water, natural fruit flavors and agave, the company said.
“Building off the continued success we have with Bud Light Seltzer and Bud Light Platinum, we’re taking the momentum we have in both categories to announce a brand-new innovation: Bud Light Platinum Seltzer,” Andy Goeler, Bud Light VP of marketing, said in a press statement. “Our strategy has and remains on giving our fans what they want and creating innovations that attract new drinkers to the Bud Light Family, all while remaining competitive in the market.”
A-B also launched a pair of 16-second national ads for the brand launch.
During the latest one-week period, off-premise dollar sales of hard seltzer brands increased 113%, according to market research firm Nielsen. The triple-digit growth comes against tougher comps and as such, hard seltzer growth rates have slowed compared to June and July. Even with those tougher comps, the segment is still claiming more than 10% of off-premise dollar share of the beer category (10.2% in the latest week).
A-B is working a portfolio strategy for its hard seltzer brands while leveraging brand equity from Bud Light, Platinum and Natural Light.
The Bud Light Seltzer brand family was the 23rd largest beer category brand family and the third largest hard seltzer brand, earning $212.7 million in dollar sales in off-premise retailers, through August 9, according to market research firm IRI. Bud Light Seltzer launched in January, and A-B recently launched a second variety pack.
Off-premise dollar sales for Bud Light Platinum Seltzer’s namesake, Platinum Lager, are up 20.6%, to nearly $125.4 million, year-to-date through August 9. Within A-B’s portfolio, that ranks the beer just below the first Bud Light Seltzer variety pack, which has racked up $155.5 million through the first week of August. That pack is already A-B’s 10th best-selling product in off-premise retailers tracked by IRI and the 28th best selling product year-to-date.