Sure, it’s possible that when you think of Natural Light, you’re actually calling it Natty Light and are picturing a frat party or a fishing trip with the guys, but the beloved beer company actually has a huge philanthropic side that you might not be aware of.
Back in 2018, Natural Light decided to create a $10 million dollar fund to help ease the debt of their fans’ college experience. The Natty College Debt Relief program began to pay US college loans starting with the promise to give 25 winners of a Natty Light sweepstakes $40,000 each to help pay off their student loans. In 2019, the brand was back to award 70 participants their own piece of another million dollar supply of debt relief, plus an extra $53,000 during Super Bowl LIII.
Then in 2020, the brand launched a program where any college graduate was able to make a quick $100 via CashApp if they were willing to let Natty Light rent their original college diploma for an art installation with the promise to return it in the exact same condition — which rolled into the 2021 version of the program.
With the continued mission to help reduce educational debt, Natural Light did a bit more research for this year’s program and discovered that college enrollment has rapidly declined in recent years. Naturally, that drop coincides with the elimination of needing a college degree to be hired at massive companies like Google, Apple, Tesla, Netflix, and many government jobs.
“The Natural Light College Debt Relief program was so well received in prior years that we just knew we had to bring it back with a new spin that really tapped into that mindset,” says Krystyn Stowe, Head of Marketing for Natural Family at Anheuser-Busch. “THE NEW .EDU was designed to support Natural Light’s most driven 21+ fans in recognition of the wide range of career and education pathways they follow.”
THE NEW .EDU and the $1M support’s goal is slightly different and has evolved with the way people are getting their education. This time it’s allowing fans to invest in themselves and aid them to pursue what makes them happy. The program evolution comes just after return of the brand’s Act Natural campaign and the replacement of its existing can design with a vintage-inspired refresh.
At the start of the year, Natural Light announced it would be permanently bringing back the vintage-inspired design in a nationwide rollout. Featuring a throwback logo, this can is an ode to one of the first Natural Light designs from 1979, complete with its crest and the classic color scheme. This change was inspired by two very successful limited runs of the vintage design in both 2021 and 2022.
“Earlier this year, Natural Light launched a new vintage-inspired can and re-introduced a classic tagline from our past: Act Natural. For the brand, Act Natural is about being yourself, trusting your instincts and always remembering how to have a good time,” shared Stowe.
Knowing there are endless paths one might take to start building their career, this year’s Natty College Debt Relief program is created to help more people pursue their passions, regardless of the educational route they choose.
This choice is supported by a recent nationwide survey with YouGov that revealed some interesting stats like the fact that “one-in-three Americans don’t feel their four-year college degree gave them a career or financial advantage over those that bypassed college in favor of a different educational route” and “78% of four-year college grads say college was not the place they learned the most valuable career-related skills.”
THE NEW .EDU plans to award 50 fans $20,000 each to help relieve past or future debt from any educational path that aligns with their passions, including certificate programs, specialty trade schools, professional licenses and more. From construction management courses to electrician’s license, Natural Light says they are here to help.
Interested 21+ candidates can apply at www.NaturalLight.com/newedu where all they need to do is write a 250-word essay (with an option to provide an accompanying creative video or song) about their inspiration for choosing their own path to education before June 30th.
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