Sunday, February 5, 2012
Budweiser Prohibition Advertisement
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With the spirit of the Super Bowl I thought a good post would be of one of the new commercials this year. Budweiser released this commercial that deals with the Prohibition Era and opens by saying that Budweiser drinkers were forced to go without it during the 13 years that alcohol was banned. The overwhelming excitement that came over everyone when prohibition ended spread through the video and the people abruptly ended what they were doing to run outside and celebrate. The Budweiser signature Clydesdale horses are shown bringing the beer back after an eternity of no Budweiser and is welcomed back with cheers and everyone celebrating the bar opening again. This ad shows Budweiser as a spirit of America and dating back to 1876 with the video produced in a kind of "old" style video with dim light and a city full of people from the time of prohibition. Alcohol companies as well as other advertisements use a "signature" object or phrase such as the Clydesdale horse for Budweiser or Captain Morgan and "Got a little Captain in you?" to help market their products. This ad uses American spirit and the signature Clydesdale to help sell its product to the audience especially during the most anticipated and watched commercials of the year, the Super Bowl. Why would Budweiser use this scenario to sell their product? Is there a negative or harmful effect of celebrating alcohol the way this ad does? Does this ad appeal specifically to men because the majority of the ad used a masculine approach? Is the signature object such as the Clydesdale horse or Keith Stone useful in marketing beer?
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I believe that this ad is useful in its marketing technique by the simple fact that it strikes home at the point of our nation's pride, history, and traditions. I believe that it can actually give people a reason to drink more because of the fact that we know that Prohibition is over with, and we may want to celebrate that by drinking another beer. Additionally, it is important to realize that this ad was built for Super Bowl Sunday, and as such, it is logical to assume that people will already have been drinking and watching the game. When they see this commercial, they will feel good about drinking beer and doing something truly American, and will want to pick up a Budweiser. I also believe that the Clydesdales are a useful marketing tool because they serve as a visual representation of Budweiser other than their bottle of beer or their logo. The idea of being in America involves drinking beer and watching football, and Budweiser certainly plays on this to their advantage.
ReplyDeleteI also think that because this ad strikes home at the pride/history/traditions aspect of America, it brings a sense of "responsibility" to drinking. I'm proud to be an American, and so drinking a Budweiser is what I'm going to do! It doesn't really appeal to the wasted party aspect that alcohol is generally associated with. It seems like an effective marketing strategy to 1) sell more beer, and 2) change a general associated idea with beer in general.
DeletePrompt 6- In the Superbowl ad there are a few things that could be controversial. The first thing being that when prohibition ends everyone immediately stops what they are doing and goes to the bar to have a drink. Some of the people even left work as shown by all the workers leaving the steel yard. Putting that much emphasis on beer and alcohol is bad because it makes everyone seem like an alcoholic. The video makes you believe that the only thing people thought about during prohibition was alcohol and that comes off as borderline alcoholic. The commercial however is a beer commercial so it must stay on the topic of beer throughout the entire commercial but I think they took it too far by assuming that everyone wanted/needed a drink right when prohibition ended. All that being said I think Budweiser got its point across very well using their signature Clydesdale horses to bring the beer in. The one guy on the farm didn't even have to hear the news to know because he saw the horses running in. While the commercial may be a little controversial, it was aired during the Superbowl when many people are drinking already so it is just showing which type of beer to buy at that point. I think Budweiser put this commercial on as more of a joke because they were trying to get people to remember it during the Superbowl.
ReplyDeleteBefore the prohibition released, it seemed that people's life was dull and lifeless. However, when they heard that the prohibition released, they were extremely excited and stopped what they were doing immediately and came to the bar to wait for the beer. When the person took the bottle opener which was covered with dust, people plaused. What is more, when seeing the Clydesdale horses, some people even ran after them. When people who were waiting for the alcohol saw the coming of the Clydesdale horses, they cheered and excited. It seems that alcohol light their life. Although this advertisement can contribute to the sale of the alcohol, it would couse a bad impression to the socitey. It seems that only when there is alcohol, people's life become meaningful.
ReplyDeleteThe rhetoric of this commercial is conveying a humorous glorification of budweiser beer. Prohibition is widely known as a fluke movement in America's history, and by setting the commercial in this particular time period, the advertisement illustrates this timeless appreciation for alcohol in America that was, and is present today. I think it is a harmless commercial, as binge drinking or irresponsible use of the beverage is not portrayed, although it does seem to be celebrating beer as a "savior" from their mundane lives. Because this is an advertisement, it is to be expected that budweiser would exaggerate the appeal of their beer, and I think that most American's understand this.
ReplyDeleteI agree with kallan. This commerical does make it seem as if budweiser beer is timeless.This commerical shows the advantages of alcohol and how it can bring a nation together despite what they are doing and what is going on.
DeleteBudweiser does a great job in this commercial in emphasizing the American spirit in one of it's oldest past-times; drinking beer. For me, this was one of my favorite commercials this year during the Super Bowl. Due to this, I think it was one of the most successful. The overall setting that it takes place in and the way that it was shot only adds to its success. It really makes you think back to the days where drinking beer was illegal, and thinking about what a momentous day that would have been if you were alive during that time. Budweiser also does a good job in making it seem like their beer was what saved the public from the doldrums of the Prohibition.
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