Budweiser 'Designate A Driver' Blimp Takes Flight

On May 22, Budweiser's first-ever responsible-drinking blimp began its official maiden voyage. The airship, which carries the "Designate a Driver" message, is in the midst of a 17-week tour across much of the country.

The blimp's flight plan includes 25 stops, many of which coincide with major festivals, outdoor celebrations and sporting events in tour cities.

"With summer on the horizon, we're all finding more reasons to celebrate," said Kathy Casso, VP of Corporate Social Responsibility for Anheuser-Busch. "The Budweiser Designate a Driver blimp gives us a unique opportunity to reach adults at outdoor events while they're enjoying our beers. Our message is simple: However you get home, designate a driver."

Consumers 21 and older can follow the Budweiser Designate a Driver blimp on Twitter at @budblimp throughout the tour and tweet photos of the vessel in their city using the hash tag #ddblimp. They can also log on to www.BudBlimp.com to pledge to drink responsibly and always designate a driver, and then share their pledge through Facebook to encourage friends to do the same.

"It's been more than 10 years since a Budweiser blimp has taken flight, so when adults see our Designate a Driver blimp, we hope they'll take our message to heart and either volunteer to be or use a designated driver," Casso added.

Consumers who take the pledge at BudBlimp.com will also be entered to win a trip for two to the Budweiser Made In America music festival, held Aug. 31-Sept. 1, which includes a blimp ride over the festival grounds.

The Budweiser Designate a Driver airship will end its tour in St. Louis on Sept. 20 to commemorate Global Be(er) Responsible Day, an annual Anheuser-Busch event dedicated to promoting responsible drinking – including the use of designated drivers.

St. Louis-based Anheuser-Busch brews Budweiser and Bud Light, two of the world’s largest-selling beers. The company is a wholly owned subsidiary of Anheuser-Busch InBev, the leading global brewer.