Written by We are living through a unique opportunity for brands to lean into their American heritage and pride, and double dip on the 250th anniversary and the World Cup. Limited-time innovations and packaging have shown up across the food and beverage space. It’s been fascinating to watch how brands have chosen to leverage the USA brand, since this year, more than most, it feels like there’s real brand risk in that territory.
The feels have been off in the US this year: macro uncertainty, an unpopular war, a polarizing president, and the list goes on. Brands are facing a real question: Does putting “250” on your packaging align you with images like UFC on the White House lawn, and is that an alignment that’s good for your brand? Conveniently, AP News recently ran a poll* to see how proud Americans are of the 250th anniversary:
- 43% showed strong pride, the opportunity for brands to lean in.
- 27% showed some pride, with 30% showing little to no pride, the risk.
What we’re seeing are different approaches, with different levels of boldness or subtlety, likely tied to both brand equity and risk tolerance.
As with everything in packaging and innovation, success or failure comes down to a brand’s ability to stay authentic to who they are, showing up in a way that feels right both to themselves and to the shoppers who buy them.
*Results are based on interviews with 2,596 U.S. adults conducted April 16–20, 2026. The margin of error is ±2.6 percentage points for the full sample.
Source: The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research