Schlitz Goes for the Gusto Again

DETROIT – For the first time in years, Stroh Brewery’s Schlitz, once the best-selling brew in the U.S., is being advertised nationally in an effort to pump up sales among the 40-and-over crowd. ‘We think the guy 40 years old and over has some recollection of Schlitz as a premium beer,’ said Ed Kopecky, Schlitz brand director. ‘It’s one of the strongest trademarks known.’ But times have changed for the ‘gusto’ brand, and history suggests that once a beer brand starts its decline it never comes back, mainly because younger drinkers are constantly looking for new products.