The Beer Choice Of Jimmy Buffet

Jimmy Buffett, the American singer-songwriter known for his tropical rock sound, was a lover of tequila on the rocks with lime – a more refined version of the margarita that made him famous. In fact, his partnership with Corona was credited for increasing the brand's sales. However, in 2006, he partnered with Anheuser-Busch to create his own lager, Landshark.

Jimmy Buffett's beer of choice was Corona

Buffett's entry into the beer world was quite accidental. It was 1984, and the musician was sitting in the office of his manager, Howard Kaufman, who was on the phone with Corona's marketing team, trying to get them to sponsor another client, The Eagles. Interjecting, Buffett said: "Hey, I'd like Corona to be my sponsor, too".

At the time, most American consumers saw Corona as a Mexican working man's beer. But, upon partnering with Buffett, Corona started incorporating the Margaritaville beach lifestyle aesthetic into its ads and promotional materials.

According to Forbes, "Corona hired him to flog its Mexican brew to young, cash-fat consumers". Buffett's fans, known as Parrotheads, committed themselves almost exclusively to the light cerveza at shows, where, during the song "Cheeseburger in Paradise", a sign would illuminate on stage, showing Corona bottles with limes wedged in their necks.

Corona's sales had been declining as recently as 1991, but once it adopted the "latitude" tagline in 1992, business was booming. "The sponsorship of Jimmy Buffett … helped create a fun-in-the-sun image for the brand," AdAge wrote in 1998. By 1999, when Corona finally scrapped the Buffett-based tagline, it was the nation's 10th best-selling beer, seen as the quintessential "vacation in a bottle".

In 2006, Buffett decided he wanted his own beer brand and partnered with Anheuser-Busch to brew Landshark Lager.

Landshark Lager replaced Corona as his beer sponsor

Jimmy Buffett's entry into the beer world was quite accidental. In 1984, while his manager, Howard Kaufman, was on the phone with Corona's marketing team, trying to get them to sponsor another client, The Eagles, on their upcoming tour, Buffett interjected, "Hey, I'd like Corona to be my sponsor, too."

At the time, most American consumers saw Corona as a Mexican working man's beer. However, after partnering with Buffett, Corona quickly started incorporating the Margaritaville beach lifestyle aesthetic into its ads and promotional materials. Corona's sales, which had been declining as recently as 1991, began to boom, and by 1998, it had ousted Heineken to become America's top imported beer.

In 2006, John Cohlan, the longtime CEO of Margaritaville Holdings, LLC, decided it was time for Buffett and Margaritaville to have their own proprietary beer for the restaurant chain. He initially approached Corona about contract brewing their beer, but they declined, stating, "We already have a 'Corona.'" Corona moved on to sponsoring Kenny Chesney.

Cohlan then called Dave Peacock, then-president of Anheuser-Busch, who had been looking for a "Corona killer" for years. With Anheuser-Busch's help, Landshark Lager was born and made its debut at Buffett's February 10, 2007, Tallahassee concert. The brand had initially called it Lone Palm Lager, based on the name of a song from Buffett's "Fruitcakes" album, but the name didn't resonate with consumers. The new name, Landshark, was inspired by Buffett's popular concert performance of "Fins," a song about a woman at a beach bar who feels like prey to all the men trying to pick her up.

Landshark Lager was an instant hit with Buffett's devoted fans, known as "Parrotheads," despite dismal reviews from beer critics. Thanks to Buffett's devoted fan base, Landshark Lager sells close to 4 million cases a year in America, outselling retail giants like Guinness. Although it never managed to dethrone Corona, Landshark Lager became a significant player in the macro beer market, especially in Florida and the Caribbean.

Landshark Lager is brewed by Anheuser-Busch

The name Landshark is derived from Buffett's popular song "Fins", about a woman at a beach bar who feels like prey to men trying to pick her up. Before each live performance of the song, audience members place their hands on their heads in the shape of a fin and sway back and forth while Buffett calls out, "The LandSharks are coming!". The brand's logo features a fin with squiggly waves and palm trees in the background.

The idea for Landshark Lager came about when John Cohlan, the longtime CEO of Margaritaville Holdings, met with Buffett in 1998 at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival. Cohlan realised that Buffett's tropical-splattered beachwear and devoted fan base, known as "Parrotheads", represented a strong brand. Cohlan brokered a deal with Anheuser-Busch to brew the lager, as the company had been seeking a "`Corona killer`" for years.

Despite some negative reviews from beer critics, Landshark Lager has become a successful brand, selling close to 4 million cases per year in America. The lager has expanded its distribution nationwide and is also sold in Canada and the Caribbean. In addition to the lager, there are currently 12 Landshark Bar & Grills across the United States and Landshark bars on six different Norwegian Cruise Line ships.

Buffett's fans, Parrotheads, committed to drinking Corona at his shows

Jimmy Buffett's fans, known as "Parrotheads", are committed to drinking Corona at his shows. This began when Buffett, in 1984, interjected in a conversation between his manager, Howard Kaufman, and Corona's marketing team, who were discussing a deal for Corona to be the beer sponsor for The Eagles. Buffett asked if Corona could sponsor him too, and a deal was struck.

At the time, Corona was seen as more of a Mexican workingman's beer, but after partnering with Buffett, the brand quickly started incorporating the Margaritaville beach lifestyle aesthetic into its promotional materials. Corona spent over $2 million on a radio campaign, and Buffett's fans followed suit, drinking Corona almost exclusively at his shows. During the song "Cheeseburger in Paradise", a sign would illuminate on stage, showing Corona bottles with limes wedged in their necks.

John Cohlan, the longtime CEO of Margaritaville Holdings, LLC, observed that Corona's partnership with Buffett was incredibly successful, stating:

> "The sponsorship of Jimmy Buffett … helped create a fun-in-the-sun image for the brand."

By 1992, Corona had adopted the tagline "Change your whole latitude" for its commercials and billboards, co-opting the title of Buffett's seminal 1977 album, "Changes in Latitudes, Changes in Attitudes". This campaign became Corona's most successful ever, and by 1998, Corona had ousted Heineken to become America's top imported beer.

Corona's sales boomed after partnering with Buffett

In 1984, Jimmy Buffett partnered with Corona, a Mexican beer brand, to become their sponsor. At the time, Corona was seen as more of a Mexican working man's beer, rather than a fun party drink. However, after partnering with Buffett, Corona quickly began to incorporate the Margaritaville beach lifestyle aesthetic into its advertising campaigns. Corona spent over $2 million on a radio campaign that helped to kickstart its new image.

The partnership proved to be a huge success, with Buffett's fans, known as 'Parrotheads', committing themselves almost exclusively to the light cerveza. During Buffett's song "Cheeseburger in Paradise", a sign would illuminate on stage, showing Corona bottles with limes wedged in their necks. Corona also adopted the tagline "Change your whole latitude", co-opting the title of Buffett's seminal 1977 album, "Changes in Latitudes, Changes in Attitudes". This campaign became Corona's most successful ever, and by 1992, Corona's sales were booming. The brand had successfully created a fun-in-the-sun image, and in 1998, it ousted Heineken to become America's top imported beer.

By 1999, when Corona finally ended its partnership with Buffett, it was the nation's 10th best-selling beer and was seen as the quintessential "vacation in a bottle". Corona's sales continued to trend upward, and by 2017, it had reportedly sold 65 million cases, becoming the fifth best-selling beer in America. The partnership with Buffett had clearly paid off, helping Corona to establish itself as a leading beer brand in the United States.

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