“CACTI, not no iced tea.”
This is what Travis Scott shouts during the first verse of his most recent single “Franchise.” The video expands upon the lyric above, showing the rapper in front of a wall of CACTI-branded boxes, wearing clothing adorned with a CACTI logo, as he cracks open a can of CACTI.
We have since discovered what CACTI is. It is Scott’s new spiked seltzer beverage crafted with the help of American brewing giant Anheuser-Busch. And today marks the first time that the three flavors of CACTI, lime, pineapple, and strawberry, will be available to the masses.
CACTI is the latest venture that Scott, who Forbes calls “corporate America’s brand whisperer,” is adding to his laundry list of big name collaborations that have included everything from a virtual performance in Fortnite to his own McDonald’s meal. Of course, we can’t forget about the multitude of Nike collabs and merch drops either. Like projects before it, Travis and his Cactus Jack team have once again gone beyond just slapping their name and logo next to another one. The most recent example, a movie trailer-esque, 30-second TV spot complete with a surprise Eric Andre cameo that aired during Sunday night’s Grammy Awards to promote the beverage.
“[Travis Scott] has his hands in everything, which is super amazing because sometimes you work with people and they’re very to the side. They’re just, ‘Okay, sure. Give me a PowerPoint presentation,’” says vice president of marketing for Anheuser-Busch’s Beyond Beer, a segment that oversees non-beer products like Ritas and Hiball Energy, Lana Buchanan. “He rolls up his sleeves and get things done, which is something we’re very lucky to have found.”
Ahead of the CACTI launch, we spoke with Buchanan about what went into creating the product, working with Travis Scott, and more.