“The people in that blind date Bud Light commercial would clearly be drinking craft beer.” -Comment from a Facebook friend
If you’ve been watching the NCAA Tournament, you already know that this Bud Light commercial has been shown roughly every 3 seconds. It’s another pretty stupid one…something of a spiritual cousin to Miller Lite’s, and it’s been taking a beating on social media. And yeah, since they’re hipsters, they probably would be drinking better beer. Or at the very least, PBR. I find it funny when mass market beer companies make it seem like people drink their stuff for a reason other that the fact that it’s dirt cheap. Why can’t he go back to Cleveland ever again? I would guess indecent exposure, but that might not be something to admit on a first date. Here we go! Who says that? Ahh, online dating. By the way, Jessica Little plays hipster girl. Still not sure who plays hipster guy.
The Super Bowl is the biggest night in advertising, but it can also feel hollow. This year, rates started at $3.5 million for a 30 second spot. So really, a lot of it feels like going to a bar and just seeing dudes throwing around money. The ads are mostly just for show….I don’t think anybody is going to buy a car or discover “Doe-ree-toes” simply based on a commercial. And at $3.5 million+ per ad, any corporation who would skip the Super Bowl and instead HIRE NEW WORKERS would get infinitely better PR. Alright. Now that I’ve gone on my mini-rant, here’s my pick for top 4 Super Bowl commercials.
#4 Doritos “Man’s Best Friend”
I had to pick from a number of spots for the #4 position and this came out on top. I originally had picked the other Doritos spot (“Sling Baby”), but after after thinking about it, “Man’s Best Friend” is wittier and less predictable.
Hugely entertaining and over-the-top. At first, it seems like a typical male fantasy but it becomes surprisingly sweet with a great twist ending.
#1 Budweiser’s “Return of the King”
As a former history major and a fan of period pieces, I loved this commercial. The artistic direction is beautiful, music from The Natural works well, and it only has two words in it (and a lot of cheering). I know the beer snobs are gonna snark “Budweiser? They got that excited about crappy Budweiser?” Shut the hell up. If you had to drink disgusting bathtub gin for 13 years, you’d be ELATED for beer, Budweiser or otherwise. And it’s true. Anheuser-Busch was one of the few American breweries to survive Prohibition, and they sent a case to the White House (delivered by Clydesdales) right after repeal.
Some other notable commercials:
Chrysler’s/Clint Eastwood’s “It’s Halftime in America”
Probably the most discussed/publicized Super Bowl commercial this year. It’s been getting a lot of political implications…some are calling it the best Obama re-election commercial that will be made. This one was a big hit with advertising experts. I had mixed feelings about it. The copy is quite well-written and fairly inspiring. But to me, it was a little draggy and boring. I know Clint Eastwood is a legend and his voice leads gravitas to the commercial, but I feel like at varying points he sounds like he’s going to (1) die, or (2) yell at me to get off his lawn. Chrysler’s Eminem spot was my favorite of last Super Bowl and this is of a similar vein. It’s something I SHOULD like, but just turned out OK in my eyes. And this is a 2 minute spot starring Clint Eastwood. It must have cost an incredible amount of money. Remember what I said in the beginning of this post, about how money might be better used by HIRING WORKERS? That severely diminishes the message for me.
Bud Light’s “Rescue Dog”
Not incredibly original. But it’s cute and does have a nice message supporting rescue dogs.
Samsung’s “Thing Called Love”
I really liked the first spot of this Samsung campaign. But they kept going with it, and the campaign felt stale pretty quickly. Yes, we know that people who stand in line for consumer products are losers and the Apple cult people are really annoying. So I was surprised by this one. Using a song that was semi-popular like 9 years ago (albeit, one I’ve always liked) is a little odd. It turns into a lot of fun, though. I don’t think it’s an amazing advertisement, but one that I really enjoyed watching. Looks like a great party. And a Brian Urlacher cameo!
Previously featured in a great Buick commercial, Girls Love Shoes return in this Lowe’s ad. The spot is visually interesting, and the song is decent. Though I like “Stars” much more.
This commercial for Bud Light Lime has been around since April, but I’ve been seeing it often lately. Expect it to be getting more airplay as winter approaches. Pretty good ad by DDB Chicago, with the beachiness, pretty women, and nice song. Bud Light Lime is obviously going after Corona drinkers.
I’ve spent an embarrassingly large amount of the last 4+ years in bars. In preparing for this post, I suddenly realized that I have never knowingly seen another guy drinking Miller Lite. Bud Light and Coors Light? Yeah. Miller High Life? Uh huh. But not Miller Lite. Perhaps gaining this key demographic is why Miller Lite has the “Man Up” campaign currently running. If beer companies were really honest, they would highlight the main attributes of light beer: it’s dirt cheap and goes down like water so you can drink them all night. But with MADD, those pesky “please drink responsibly” announcements, and maybe even a little social consciousness, these don’t happen. Anyway, on to Miller Lite’s latest:
Ridiculous. The beer cart girl at your local golf course does not look like that. And your friends won’t treat you like a woman for not ordering Miller Lite. In fact, with enough beer in you, you might chase them with your club and show them who’s a man. Though I do confess a certain liking for the snarkybartendresses (I like my women with some sass). But really, the series is just getting old. Man up, Miller Lite. Find a new pitch. This one isn’t working.
I’ve always found it bizarre how concerned American beer companies are with the designs of their bottles and cans. You don’t hear much about the quality of the beer, just about the bottles/cans and vague claims of “drinkability”. Heineken cuts right to the chase in this very simple commercial. There’s no gimmicks, just the beer.
