Less than a year after its launch, Anheuser-Busch InBev is discontinuing Cacti, a hard seltzer brand backed by Travis Scott.
The choice was made after the rapper and influencer received unfavorable press after ten concertgoers at his Astroworld performance in November died as a result of crowd control problems. In the days that followed the tragedy, Cacti’s Twitter account went dark, and as of today, it has been deleted.
The brewer issued a statement saying, “After careful consideration, we have decided to cease all manufacturing and brand development of CACTI Agave Spiked Seltzer.
Fans of the brand will likely comprehend and respect this choice, we feel. When questioned if the choice had anything to do with the tragedy at Astroworld, a corporate official declined to offer any other details.
Is Cacti seltzer no longer available?
Anheuser-Busch announced on December 11, 2021, “We have decided to halt all production and brand development of Cacti Agave Spiked Seltzer,” while a source close to Scott indicated that the decision hadn’t been made permanently at the time.
Does Travis Scott own Cacti seltzer?
Cacti, a hard seltzer brand developed by Travis Scott in collaboration with Anheuser-Busch, debuted on store shelves in March 2021.
Anheuser-Busch issued a statement on Friday, December 10, 2021, declaring the end of the seltzer.
“We have made the decision to halt all CACTI Agave Spiked Seltzer production and brand development following thorough consideration. We think brand enthusiasts would comprehend and respect this choice “a corporate spokeswoman stated.
When questioned if the Astroworld tragedy had anything to do with the brand’s termination, the representative reportedly declined to answer.
Scott described creating the brand as “rewarding” before the product was released in the spring.
Building out the CACTI brand over the past year has been really satisfying, he said at the time. “Being able to develop my imagination with something like this image is super essential to me,” he said.
Why is Cacti seltzer no longer available?
Following the tragedy at the festival that left 10 dead, Nike postponed the release of their most recent Air Max 1 x Cactus Jack sneaker partnership with Scott.
After last month’s horrific Astroworld festival accident, Travis Scott’s spiked seltzer Cacti was canceled.
A 9-year-old boy was among the 10 people murdered in a crowd surge in Houston tragedy that Anheuser-Busch announced would be discontinued on Friday.
Cacti Agave seltzer is produced by whom?
Travis Scott, an American rapper, musician, and producer, revealed his newest project, CACTI, which he invented and developed in collaboration with Anheuser-Busch.
Scott, who appeared on Forbes’ “30 Under 30 three years ago, is renowned for breaking new ground. One such foray into the beverage market is CACTI, which gives his already complex brand image a new feature.
In creating the flavors for our new Agave Spiked Seltzer range, Scott drew inspiration from his favorite alcoholic beverage, Tequila. CACTI, which is scheduled to release in the spring of 2021, promises to be a fun and energizing beginning to the year.
With Travis Scott’s avant-garde style and the biggest brewer in the world, you’ve got a winning tastemaker on your hands. Scott’s Cactus Jack creative collection and AB’s extraordinarily gifted think tanks have collaborated to create the tastes, packaging, and marketing pushes.
CACTI is robust with a 7 percent ABV and produced from 100% quality blue agave imported all the way from Mexico in an effort to appeal to Scott’s younger fan base. There will be Lime, Pineapple, and Strawberry flavors.
Could I still purchase cacti?
Travis Scott’s Cacti Agave Spiked Seltzer completely sold out on the company’s website within a day of its March debut. The item has been formally restocked and is now available for purchase here because to the overwhelmingly positive response to the rapper’s new business venture.
What kind of alcohol does Cacti seltzer contain?
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- CACTI is a hard seltzer that contains only the finest blue agave from Mexico.
- On March 15, the rapper Travis Scott and Anheuser-beverage Busch’s made its debut.
- The beverage is passable, and the pineapple flavor and overall package were my favorites.
Readers must be 21 or older to access this material. Drink responsibly, please. Get assistance if you or someone you know is struggling with alcoholism. The National Helpline for Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration at 1-800-662-HELP (4357) offers a free, private, round-the-clock information and referral service for treatment.
Who invented the seltzer rapper?
Boston Beer Co. stated in September that it overestimated demand for its strong seltzer brand in July. genuinely eager for the summer. Boston Beer lowered its earnings forecast at the time and stated that its outlook for hard seltzers in the second half of 2021 was uncertain.
After collaborating with McDonald’s on his name-brand meal, which led to ingredient shortages at restaurants across the nation, Scott made his Cacti debut in March.
Where did Bon Viv seltzers go?
Anheuser-Busch, a brewer, offers a range of seltzer drinks with added alcohol called Bon and Viv. Although the brand was introduced in 2016, Bon and Viv got their start in 2013 when businessman Nick Shields created SpikedSeltzer. Shield later transferred ownership of the brand to Anheuser-Busch, which rebranded it as Bon and Viv.
In the field of beverages with already low calorie counts, Bon and Viv stands out as a lighter spiked seltzer with 0 grams of sugar per can and only 90 calories. Additionally, Bon and Viv is naturally sugar-free and gluten-free.
Eight fruity tastes and flavor combinations are available in Bon and Viv. In addition to selling beer and wine, these stores also sell Bon and Viv.
Does Bon Viv still exist?
The once-hot brand Cacti Agave Spiked Seltzer has been discontinued by Anheuser-Busch InBev (ABI) nine months after it was introduced as “the future of hard seltzer.” The move, which was first reported by Beer Business Daily and Beer Marketer’s Insights, shows how little patience major players have for brand building in the long tail of the hard seltzer market. It also shows that ABI intends to let Bud Light Hard Seltzer, which ranks third in chain stores, Michelob ULTRA Organic Seltzer, and Bud Light Platinum Seltzer, which ranks eleventh, take center stage for the foreseeable future.
Within a week of its launch, Cacti was a top-5 hard seltzer brand, but sales have since dropped to, at most, 1.1 percent of the market, placing it at #9.
69 percent of all chain retail sales are made by the leading brand families in the category, White Claw and Truly. Eighteen brands own 88.9% of the market share, including Cacti.
While it’s unclear if ABI supported Cacti for on-premise placements instead of Bud Light seltzer, which earned about 2% of total can volume in 2021, combined on- and off-premise data from Fintech and the National Beer Wholesalers Association (NBWA) had Cacti at just over half a percent of the hard seltzer market.
Only category leaders White Claw (9%), Truly (2.6%), and Bud Light Hard Seltzer (1.9%) are shown by Fintech and the NBWA as having any substantial can share in the on-premise.
Cacti accounts for 1.1 percent of total hard seltzer sales in grocery, convenience, and big box shops, according to IRI’s off-premise chain retail data.
ABI’s preference for hard seltzer families with higher brand loyalty wasn’t Cacti’s only issue, either. A class action lawsuit was filed against it for using the word “agave,” and rapper Travis Scott, a brand partner and celebrity endorser, is currently embroiled in his own legal issues. Scott’s performance at the Astroworld festival on November 5 caused a crowd surge that resulted in ten fatalities, and as a result, Scott is being sued. The rapper’s collaboration with ABI ended on November 30 according to a spokesperson for him who also described the decision to do so as “mutual.” The cooperation was previously described by ABI as “a long-term collaborative effort.
Almost three times as much hard seltzer was sold in 2019 ($5 billion) in chain retail establishments in the United States that IRI tracks during the most recent 52-week period ending November 28. For Cacti, it was $51.2 million, not much less than what Oskar Blues Brewery and Harpoon Brewery together sold in IRI-tracked chain retail. Even 1% of that long-tail market is worth millions of dollars.
ABI seems to be growing impatient with brands that aren’t capturing sizable shares of what’s left of the market while the biggest seltzer brands in the nation continue to dominate it. The top ten hard seltzer brands in chain retail, as tracked by IRI, accounted for 90.9 percent of the market this year and 90.7 percent last year. Given the class-action lawsuit and Travis Scott’s troubled reputation, the niche market for Cacti no longer seems to be worth the effort to establish a brand.
Instead, ABI is sticking with what it is familiar with: expansions of well-known brands. ABI watched the brand fall from a $58 million per year brand in 2018 to one that is on pace to barely hit $15 million this year in IRI-tracked chain retail after it spent a lot of money to buy Spiked Seltzer (now called Bon & Viv) in 2016, and further spent roughly $5 million on a Super Bowl commercial for the brand in 2019. Bud Light Hard Seltzer, Bud Light Platinum Hard Seltzer, and Michelob ULTRA Organic Seltzer are line extensions that ABI introduced to diversify its portfolio in 2020 and 2021, respectively.
Bon & Viv and Natty Light Hard Seltzer are still produced by the beverage firm, but like Cacti, ABI is allowing them to take a backseat to other hard seltzer brands in the company’s portfolio.
Molson Coors Beverage Company, ABI’s main American rival, has made a comparable decision by grouping its seltzer products behind its top sellers. Coors Seltzer, which remains the nation’s 15th best-selling hard seltzer brand year to date, was discontinued by Molson Coors in July. Instead, the firm is focusing on Topo Chico Hard Seltzer, which is ranked eighth overall, and Vizzy, which is the U.S.’s fourth-ranked hard seltzer brand. Topo Chico Hard Seltzer, which made its debut in March, now commands 2.2 percent of the hard seltzer market in the United States thanks to recognition for its non-alcoholic sparkling water, which is available in all 50 states and has been expanding quickly for years.
As businesses struggle to determine which of their goods will be the lead horses, change comes quickly in the long tail of hard seltzer. Nine months ago, Cacti made news with a record-breaking launch that saw it sell out in tens of thousands of retailers. According to online beer publication Brewbound, Cacti sold more in its first week than any hard seltzer variety pack in ABI history. It is also said to have become one of the most-followed alcohol brands on social media in general, and ABI’s, thanks in part to Scott’s celebrity support. (ABI removed Cacti’s social media accounts afterwards.)
This is far more than a limited-edition product drop; it is a long-term collaborative effort for all stakeholders involved, ABI told Campaign US, a communications industry newspaper, in May.
Not being was not intended. The brilliance that Cacti once had was tempered by an unexpected tragedy and a class action lawsuit. The brand will be remembered as just another illustration of how ABI prioritizes brands with long-term equity and name recognition over those with truly novel innovation and, at least initially, high potential.
What’s up with cacti seltzer?
Anheuser-Busch stated on Friday that it will no longer sell Travis Scott’s Cacti line of hard seltzers, breaking their connection with the musician less than a year after the Astroworld tragedy.
“We have made the decision to halt all CACTI Agave Spiked Seltzer production and brand development following thorough consideration. The beverage manufacturer issued a statement on Friday saying, “We think brand followers will comprehend and support this decision.”
Although Anheuser-Busch did not expressly mention the Astroworld disaster as the cause of the hard seltzer line’s discontinuation, it wasn’t because of low sales: When Cacti first hit the market in March 2021, it instantly sold out online, and retailers had trouble keeping the product in stock. “Many of them claim to have never witnessed anything like it: sold out in a single day, CEO Michel Doukeris said at the time, according to CNBC.