A good story is a bonus, but can your beer brand be recognised without one?

There are beers being cracked open around the world in celebration of World Beer Day. Held on the first Friday of every August, it’s an opportunity for beer lovers to raise a glass with their friends and toast the brewers responsible for producing their favourite golden nectar.

And there are certainly plenty of delicious options to choose from. The likes of Beavertown and BrewDog kickstarted the craft beer revolution, opening the doors for new players to flood in. 

It’s an opportunity for beer lovers to raise a glass with their friends and toast the brewers responsible for producing their favourite golden nectar.

Brands such as Jubel have brought the fruity notes often associated with cider to the lager landscape. And my personal favourite, in terms of beer and brand, Heineken. Not only is it refreshingly crisp, with that legendary wit woven into its branding, but it also holds a special place in my heart, having worked with them for half of my career. 

Above: Bud Light stood out by using ‘Spuds MacKenzie’, an 80s classic mascot that made an unexpected return in Bud Light’s 2017 Super Bowl ad.

The industry is also grappling with the rapid growth of low and no-alcohol options. Sales of alcohol-free beer in Q1 2025 were up by 32% compared to the same period last year. This is indicative of shifting consumer behaviours, and may be a contributing factor as to why almost half of Brits support a pre-watershed ban on alcohol advertising. 

Historically, beer brands have leaned on emotional storytelling to drive preference, but with media space dwindling, and in a category where beers look, sound and often taste almost the same - give or take a shade of amber - it’s no longer enough to simply 'stand out'.

Certainly [taste is] an important factor in retaining customers, but how do you translate this to audiences that have never purchased your product?

The question is: what identity is your brand claiming - and can consumers even tell if it’s yours? 

A recipe gone stale

Heading to the pub on a sunny afternoon, catching up with your friends and enjoying the crispness of that first sip; there are no shortage of social rituals and codes associated with beer, but while some consider this a shortcut to relevance, mass adoption has led to uniformity, with every brand attempting to occupy the same emotional space. Crafting true mental availability requires more than nostalgic category tropes. Differentiation lies in making bold claims and utilising distinctive brand cues - seven to be exact, according to market research agency System1. 

Take taste. Certainly it's an important factor in retaining customers, but how do you translate this to audiences that have never purchased your product? In order to ensure that it’s your brand that bubbles to the surface, it’s important to make use of all of the ingredients at your disposal. 

Above: Corona was crowed the world’s most valuable beer in Kantar’s 2025 BrandZ Global report for the second year running. 

Some opt to use a brand mascot or character to secure instant recognition, like ‘Spuds MacKenzie’, an 80’s classic that made an unexpected return in Bud Light’s 2017 Super Bowl ad. Others adopt a more granular approach. Heineken, for example, has mastered this craft. Its iconic Heineken green and the instantly recognisable red star act as instant visual shorthand. 

However, the challenge isn’t just identifying a code, it’s selecting one that resonates with your brand and bringing it to life in a way that is unmistakably you. 

Raise a glass to the success stories

So, which brands have raised the bar and consistently served best-in-class creative, making their brand identifiable beyond just an emotional story? 

The challenge isn’t just identifying a code, it’s selecting one that resonates with your brand.

For the second year running, Corona has been crowned the world’s most valuable beer in Kantar’s 2025 BrandZ Global report. It has secured familiarity through repetition, never straying too far from sun-soaked, sandy beaches (and the sense of escapism they provide). What’s more, the token lime wedge has evolved from garnish to pièce de résistance - a calling card that drives immediate recognition.

Going global doesn’t mean that you can’t tap into the power of local truths, however. Budweiser is a staple of supermarkets, pubs and bars the world over - yet remains a brand synonymous with American pride, courtesy of frequent patriotic campaigns featuring seasonal rebrands and limited edition products. Similarly, Desperados has captured the essence of Latin culture in a bottle, a fact that is hammered home by lively music and light vibes.