He Lost Billions as Apple's Forgotten Co-Founder. Now He's Pitching a Beloved Apple Beer

Busch Light is bringing back its beloved apple flavor — with a very fitting spokesperson: Ronald Wayne.

Who's that? Ronald Wayne made one of the all-time greatest financial mistakes in tech history. He was a cofounder of Apple Computers, but left in 1976 and sold his 10% stake for $800. Today, that would be worth $270 billion — making him one of the richest people on the planet.

"But hey, you live. You learn," Wayne says in the new Busch Light ad. "And today I'm here to tell you about a different kind of apple, one you don't want to miss out on. It's back, and this time I'm not missing out on a great apple-related opportunity."

Busch Light discontinued its apple-flavored beer in 2022, and it has been hearing from fans ever since.

The company says that one-third of all comments on its social media posts are pleading for Busch Light Apple return, which they call Bapple. Fans stockpiled cases of the beer, and consume them like fine wines. They still take to the internet, offering rewards for whoever can get them a can. "I'm willing to go to whatever extremes have to be done," one fan on Reddit wrote.

So to announce Bapple's return, Busch Light wanted to do more than make a big, fruity splash. It wanted to reflect its fans emotions.

"We wanted the campaign to playfully tap into that feeling of regret — and how you don't want to feel it again," says Krystyn Stowe, head of marketing for Busch Family & Natural Family at Anheuser-Busch. "Ronald Wayne's story was the perfect cultural shorthand for that emotion. By pairing him with the return of Busch Light Apple, we dramatized the stakes of missing out."

The campaign also reflects Busch Light's Midwest identity, which is an important connection point for its consumer. Busch Light is the #1 beer brand in 10 states across the Midwest, and Wayne is from Ohio. The ad shows him in a simple rural home, with mountains in the background.

Busch Light has been on a roll lately. It has become the #1 largest value brand and the #6 largest beer brand in the U.S., while maintaining its position as the second-fastest growing beer brand in the industry.

Given those numbers, perhaps Wayne should buy stock in Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV. But if he doesn't, at least he can stock up on some high-valued beer.