Anheuser-Busch InBev is pulling the plug on its Travis Scott-backed hard seltzer brand, Cacti, less than a year after it went on sale.
The decision comes in the wake of negative publicity for the rapper and influencer after ten people at his Astroworld concert in November died as a result of crowd control issues. Cacti's Twitter account went silent in the days following the tragedy and as of today had been removed.
“After careful evaluation, we have decided to stop all production and brand development of CACTI Agave Spiked Seltzer,” the brewer said in a statement. “We believe brand fans will understand and respect this decision.” A company representative did not provide further information when asked if the decision was related to the Astroworld tragedy.
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A representative for Scott told Ad Ad Age that his endorsement deal expired on Nov. 30 and characterized the decision to end his involvement as a "mutual" one.
Scott, who had earned a reputation as a powerful product endorser, has experienced other brand fallout in wake of the tragedy. Nike in late November stated it would delay the release of a sneaker collaboration with Scott’s Cactus Jack label.
AB InBev’s move was first reported by beer trade publications Beer Business Daily and Beer Marketer’s Insights. Both publications made note of the tragedy but also alluded to recent poor sales results for Cacti. “After a rocketship start, becoming a top 5 seltzer brand with 3.2 share of the segment in just one week of sales, it has petered out significantly,” Beer Business Daily reported.
The brewer relied on a digital marketing-heavy approach to plug the seltzer, which debuted in the spring, feeding off of Scott’s sizable Instagram following. Scott also plugged the drink in one of his music videos, giving it ample screen time as he holds a can in one scene.
Marketing for the drink was handled by Cactus Jack, the sub-brand Scott created that he uses on various business exploits, as well as AB InBev’s in-house agency. An ad that ran in the Grammys earlier this year came from Scott’s agency, Cactus Jack Creative Collective.
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December 11, 2021 at 05:05AM
https://adage.com/article/marketing-news-strategy/anheuser-busch-discontinues-travis-scotts-cacti-hard-seltzer/2387611
Anheuser-Busch discontinues Travis Scott's Cacti hard seltzer - AdAge.com
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