• by Les Luchter , October 27, 2021

In recent years, Busch Light has hitched itself to weddings, with promotions ranging from sponsoring ceremonies in the great outdoors to ordaining a “Busch Guy” to do officiating. The brand has already been selling wedding T-shirts as part of this love fest, so perhaps its latest fashion extension -- outdoorsy wedding dresses available through a tie-in with David’s Bridal -- should come as no surprise.

(Note to fashionistas for whom, yes, the whole idea might be a shocking surprise -- check out the image above. Might not be your choice, but the print looks fairly tasteful, all in all.)

The custom $799 dress (on sale for $749 through Monday), features subtle Busch branding and is available online from David’s through Black Friday, Nov. 26, in either gray camo or green camo. The colors and pattern are derived from Busch’s camo cans, first offered in 2006 and now available again to coincide with the dress’s availability, said Daniel Blake, group vice president, Budweiser & Value, Anheuser-Busch.

Brides needn’t worry about standing alone, either. David’s is also offering a matching $14.95 men’s bow tie, and the retailer’s social content “will feature ways to pair the dress with bridesmaids’ colors,” Laura McKeever, senior manager of public relations and communications at David’s, told Marketing Daily.

“This dress is, of course, for a more nontraditional bride,” she added, “definitely one who loves the outdoors, and outdoor weddings are even more popular now than ever before. This is perfect for a bride who wants something different or perhaps a second dress for her event to surprise her groom."

“Our fans believe everything is better outside,” explained Blake. “Busch Light has long been a staple at [their] weddings, so why not make experiences tailored to them?”

But the dress isn’t limited to weddings, McKeever said.  “We are marketing this not just as a wedding dress, but for any occasion. We purposely selected a gown design -- one of our most beloved satin ball gown -- 5hat is bridal, but lends itself to an occasion-dress option as well.”

Potential buyers are invited to check their fit by trying on style V3848 (which retails for $699) in David’s stores nationwide.

Marketing for the camo dress, concentrated on social and digital PR, will include a Nov. 2-5 sweepstakes, with one dress as the prize. Anyone 21 or older will be able to enter by following the Instagram feeds of both David’s Bridal and Busch Beer and also liking or commenting on the David’s sweepstakes announcement post.

For Busch Light, the dress is a way to “return the favor” of its fans “making our beer an honored guest” at their nuptials, said Blake.

“Couples love to serve it [Busch] at their weddings, we hear,” commented McKeever. “Busch approached us with this idea, and it was just too fun and unexpected for us to turn down. Our team was so excited about thinking outside the box and figuring out how we could make camo work for a wedding dress.”