The Clydesdales are gathered on a beautiful sunny day and lined up in the barnyard; the ominous beer wagon sits waiting for this year’s team to be hitched up to it (Budweiser. Advertisement. NBC. Feburary 2008). Following the dramatic silence the final name is called; “Thunder” proudly lopes out of the lineup leaving the rest of the Clydsdales looking dejected. “Maybe next year Hank”, consoles a trainer to one of those dejected Clydesdales. Cue the theme song from Rocky, enter the highly motivated Dalmatian and thus begins the rigorous training sessions where the Dalmatian makes ready “Hank” the Clydesdale for next year’s lineup. The ad climaxes with Hank being chosen for one of the coveted positions in front of the Budweiser beer wagon. Then Hank and the Dalmatian engage in a celebratory high five. While other advertisers went for the big laugh, gross human acts, or even big Hollywood celebrities to capture the attentions of Super Bowl viewers Budweiser took a completely different angle. They aimed straight for the hearts of Americans with the story of the underdog rallying to become the victor. With this strategy Budweiser made the viewers feel good about life, themselves, and the company who was advertising.
At a time of economic uncertainty, an unsettled election, and a lot of cynicism in American advertising, Budweiser felt it was time for something different. According to
Anheuser-Busch’s chief creative officer, Bob Lachky, “It is a spot about tradition, the little guy succeeding. There’s a real era of cynicism right now, and America was ready for this message. It has a message about trying harder”(Horovitz,). Lachky was obviously right, as Americans rated this the number one ad for the 2008 Super Bowl in USA Today’s annual Ad Meter poll. The ad very effectively moves the viewer into rooting for the underdog. It stirs emotion and rallies hope. In the end the viewer feels motivated and victorious as “Hank” is chosen. In a market where the ads seem to border on offensive for a product that is seen by many as “evil”, Budweiser won a great number of the public over with this ad. No scantily clad models, no female bashing, and no unrealistic promise for buying and using the product; just a timeless traditional story that everyone can relate to.
By using the VALS2 method for determining the targeted demographic of an ad, which is discussed by James B. Twitchell, it seems evident that Budweiser was aiming for the “believer” group (205). With the wholesome message and child friendly content one could expect this ad to be selling almost anything that Middle American families buy. This ad makes it seem noble to purchase the advertised product. One could be moved to feeling that he is promoting the traditional values this country was built on by supporting this company. All of this comes from a company that sells beer.
This isn’t Anheuser-Busch’s first time to come out a winner for their Super Bowl commercial. This year marked ten in a row for the company. Lachky says that this is, “… validation of the brand strategies we have in place and that the Clydesdales are America’s favorite icon” (Horovitz). The company is obviously doing something right as they have held the number one spot for beer makers for quite some time as well. Therefore, keep watching for this year’s Super Bowl commercials to see if Budweiser can pull it off again.
At a time of economic uncertainty, an unsettled election, and a lot of cynicism in American advertising, Budweiser felt it was time for something different. According to
Anheuser-Busch’s chief creative officer, Bob Lachky, “It is a spot about tradition, the little guy succeeding. There’s a real era of cynicism right now, and America was ready for this message. It has a message about trying harder”(Horovitz,). Lachky was obviously right, as Americans rated this the number one ad for the 2008 Super Bowl in USA Today’s annual Ad Meter poll. The ad very effectively moves the viewer into rooting for the underdog. It stirs emotion and rallies hope. In the end the viewer feels motivated and victorious as “Hank” is chosen. In a market where the ads seem to border on offensive for a product that is seen by many as “evil”, Budweiser won a great number of the public over with this ad. No scantily clad models, no female bashing, and no unrealistic promise for buying and using the product; just a timeless traditional story that everyone can relate to.
By using the VALS2 method for determining the targeted demographic of an ad, which is discussed by James B. Twitchell, it seems evident that Budweiser was aiming for the “believer” group (205). With the wholesome message and child friendly content one could expect this ad to be selling almost anything that Middle American families buy. This ad makes it seem noble to purchase the advertised product. One could be moved to feeling that he is promoting the traditional values this country was built on by supporting this company. All of this comes from a company that sells beer.
This isn’t Anheuser-Busch’s first time to come out a winner for their Super Bowl commercial. This year marked ten in a row for the company. Lachky says that this is, “… validation of the brand strategies we have in place and that the Clydesdales are America’s favorite icon” (Horovitz). The company is obviously doing something right as they have held the number one spot for beer makers for quite some time as well. Therefore, keep watching for this year’s Super Bowl commercials to see if Budweiser can pull it off again.
No comments:
Post a Comment