What if DuPont were to leaveJeff Gordon? Or what if Home Depot decided that sponsoring Tony Stewart was no longer an option? How about DEWALT and Matt Kenseth parting ways? It would be weird, right?
Another component of the after-effects of Dale Earnhardt Jr leaving DEI for Hendrick Motorsports is the fact the long-time sponsor Budweiser will not stay on the hood of Earnhardt Jr's cars after the 2007 NASCAR season has completed.
As of now, it seems as if Mountain Dew, a Pepsi Co. product, will become the primary sponsor for NASCAR's poster boy. So the Sea Of Red could become the Sea Of Green and Black. Where does that leave Budweiser?
The Budweiser brand has become synonymous with Dale Earnhardt Jr over the past eight years. From clever television ads to posters plastered all over thousands of kid’s walls, and some adults too, Dale Earnhardt Jr and Budweiser have become arguably the most dynamic driver and sponsor duo in all of NASCAR's history.
Well, as the old axiom says, ‘all good things must come to an end’. A new beginning is on the horizon for Dale Earnhardt Jr, Budweiser, and the driver in which Budweiser decides to promote.
It is reported that Budweiser has narrowed its driver’s list to four, and Kasey Kahne and Kyle Busch are obviously two of those four drivers. Here, you have two youthful drivers that fit into Budweiser’s marketing demographic, and have won several races rather early in their careers. However, the image of both Kahne and Kyle Busch could not be any more divergent.
If Budweiser wants a guy similar to Dale Earnhardt Jr, then Kasey Kahne is their man. Kahne is timid and down to earth, a lot like Earnhardt Jr. Additionally, Kahne is not lacking when it comes to his female fan base. Of course this would mean that Budweiser would turn over a new leaf at Evernham Motorsports.
Kyle Busch would be perfect if Budweiser were to take the ‘rough around the edges’ approach. Busch has had his share of run-ins throughout his brief career, and has attracted a lot of media attention, although some of it is far from positive.
The guys at Budweiser might want to check with the guys at Miller to see if the ‘bad boy’ approach is really worth the headaches. Of course, Kurt Busch, Kyle’s older brother, replaced Rusty Wallace in the Miller Lite colors in 2006. Can you imagine the fun that Anheiser-Busch and Miller Brewing Co. could have pitting brother against brother?
Rather it is Kyle Busch, Kasey Kahne, or a driver to be named later; it will be a long time before they would be able to have the same impact as Dale Earnhardt Jr did as far as marketing.
