The increasing level of competition between sponsors for television time has led companies to think outside the box and seek creative ways to get their products prominently displayed in front of NASCAR fans.  While the ever present logos and products are front and center during a NASCAR race, sometimes that simply isn’t enough for some companies who spend millions of dollars a year in order to present their brands to the NASCAR viewing public.

During Sunday’s race, a product placement stunt by Anheuser Busch had unintended consequences when a can of Budweiser rolling around the track caused a caution during lap 92 of the Lifelock 400 at Michigan International Speedway.  The can of beer was considered to be debris by NASCAR but Anheuser Busch says that can was anything but debris. 

“This was an orchestrated effort to get our product out there.  We thought it would be great,” said Mickey Anheuser, Director of Marketing.  “How exciting would it be to see a can of delicious, refreshing Budweiser racing alongside the 43 other competitors at breakneck speeds?”  Evidently, not very exciting as the can of Budweiser was not able to meet the minimum track speed mandated by NASCAR and was black flagged. 

NASCAR goes the extra mile to ensure that sponsors are treated fairly but some feel Anheuser Busch was out of line in this instance.  “It really boils down to a safety issue,” said NASCAR Director of Sponsor Control Vernon Buford.  “Not only was this a safety issue for the drivers, but what if some thirsty fan jumped out there on the track and tried to run down that can of Bud?  It could have been really tragic.”