Dive Brief:

• Anheuser-Busch beer brand Natural Light is making a marketing campaign out of finding a summer intern, according to a press release. The hunt for a new intern was revealed in a humorous new video starring the company's brand manager that is aimed at new college graduates.
• The "Natty Qualified" outreach effort reveals that the brand is looking for a candidate that lives the "values of the Natural Light brand." Rather than an emphasis on GPA or work experience, the company wants someone who exhibits ingenuity and creativity. People over 21 whose resume includes strong creative writing and the ability to transform a bathtub into a cooler are encouraged to apply.
• Potential applicants can apply through May 19 for an internship that runs June 10 to Aug. 2. The intern will be tasked with performing brand ambassador duties at events, managing social media content, handling guerilla marketing and posting a weekly vlog of the brand's social media stories.

Dive Insight:

Natural Light, a low-cost beer, wants to reach cost-conscious college students and those entering the job market and has created a campaign designed to reach this audience where it spends much of its viewing time. Using YouTube as the launch platform for the new "Natty Qualified" campaign could be highly effective among this target group. According to Pew Research, 94% of 18- to 24-year-olds use the channel. Adding the #NattyIntern hashtag gives the brand a way to track the conversation in social media and the ability to listen to how the video is being received.

The tone of the ad is very playful and captures the voice of the brand. Previously, Natural Light launched its strawberry-lemonade Naturdays product with an irreverent animated film featuring a story told by former NFL punter, commentator and podcaster Pat McAfee. Both the "Red 18" video and the push for an intern position the brand as a prime choice for casual, fun-seeking beer drinkers.

This is not the first time that the company has used marketing aimed at college grads. In 2018, the brand took out a Super Bowl ad in 10 regional markets to promote a sweepstakes offering to pay $1 million to current and former college students to help them pay off student loans. The effort included a sweepstakes with Square's mobile payment service, Cash App, in which college students could enter to win $351, the average monthly payment of a student loan, to free up money for a Super Bowl party.