Budweiser’s Super Bowl ad creates unintended controversy
Who would have thought that a beer ad, whose themes are hope, ambition, hard work and self-reliance, could be interpreted as a jibe against President Trump’s policies? Well, it’s all to do with timing.
The 60-seconds-spot, called “Born the hard way”, tells the story of Adolphus Busch making the arduous journey from Germany to St Louis, where he shares a beer with businessman Eberhard Anheuser. The two will eventually launch their eponymous brewing company in the 19th century, which grew to become the largest brewer in the United States.
Although AB-InBev, the owner of Anheuser-Busch, could not have planned it this way, timing totally changed the ad’s message. A year ago, the commercial would have been seen as cashing in on the brewer’s history and heritage, today it’s seen as taking a stand against President Trump, whose order to temporarily ban refugees and immigrants from seven mostly Muslim-dominated countries as part of his national security policies, raised a national firestorm.
Budweiser is known for its controversial Super Bowl advertising. Last year its spot “Brewed the hard way” poked fun of snobbish craft beer lovers and was discussed the world over.
It’s a good thing that AB-InBev did not shy away from airing the ad during Super Bowl, which took place on 5 February 2017, although the company tried to tone down its message by saying that “Born the hard way” has been in the works for almost a year and was not intended to make a political statement.
“We believe beer should be bipartisan, and did not set out to create a piece of political commentary,” Marcel Marcondes, Vice President of Marketing at Anheuser-Busch was quoted as saying. “However, we recognize that you can’t reference the American Dream today without being part of the conversation.”
As with the anti-craft beer commercial last year, “Born the hard way” is going to resonate with half the country while antagonising the other half. But in the end it got people talking and this is what marketers try and do every day.
Super Bowl ads aren’t cheap. According to US media, the going rate is USD 5 million for 30 seconds of air time during the game. The production of the ads and elaborate marketing campaigns across all media platforms can add millions more. Anheuser-Busch was the top advertiser in the game, buying three minutes and 30 seconds of airtime.
You can watch the video at www.youtube.com/watch?v=HtBZvl7dIu4
