Dive Brief:

• Anheuser-Busch beer brand Natural Light partnered with TaxAct to give away a case of beer to consumers who file their taxes through the online tax preparation tool​, according to news shared with Marketing Dive.
• Consumers over the age of 21 who use the TaxAct software to file their 2019 taxes by the extended July 15 deadline will get a rebate for a 24-pack courtesy of Natty Light and TaxAct.
• To get the free beer, consumers must file using TaxAct and upload an image of their beer purchase receipt at naturallight.com.

Dive Insight:

Natural Light is targeting Gen Z and millennial consumers by offering a reward for a potentially stressful responsibility — filing taxes — that's only gotten more complicated due to the coronavirus pandemic, hence the extended deadline. This is the latest example where the budget light beer brand has used its marketing to provide practical financial assistance for cash-strapped young people who are essential to growing its business​​.

Taxes are a major concern for millennials. Eighty percent of surveyed millennials said they fear not doing their taxes correctly and that they will either pay too much or not get a full refund, according to a study from Nerd Wallet cited by Natural Light. The brand wants to ease this pressure by offering free beer to young folks who complete the challenge of online taxes, and in doing so, has an opportunity to pitch itself as something to treat one's self to after completing tedious tasks.

The campaign is on-message for Natural Light, whose target audience is college students, many of whom are concerned about finances, particularly as the U.S. steers into another serious recession. The marketer recently revealed plans to host virtual college commencements on Facebook Live to celebrate this key group of consumers, who are barred from attending such ceremonies in-person due to the coronavirus. In February, the brand also ran its third annual campaign promoting the Natty Light College Debt Relief Program, an effort that gives $1 million in debt relief each year to help college students pay back student loan debt.

Last year, the beer brand worked with Cash App, the mobile payment service developed by Square, to hand out cash during the Super Bowl as well. Natural Light gave out $53,000 to 151 fans through the payment app in a move to help them offset monthly student debt payment so they could use the money to host Super Bowl parties instead.