Budweiser – 2017 Super Bowl commercial tells story of Anheuser-Busch meeting, immigration
There are few places on the internet more dangerous than the YouTube comment section, and there is no better example of that than looking at the ones that came along with the new Budweiser commercial for Super Bowl LI. This was at its core a commercial simply all about the meeting of Anheuser-Busch, the two founders of the company that eventually came to make Budweiser and so many other beers.
Yet, the controversy here is all around the way in which the commercial depicts Anheuser’s immigration from Germany and the struggles he went through. There are of course many people labeling it as political, but we don’t see it that way. It’s more about an emotional journey and finding humanity in what someone else went through.
What worked – Budweiser commercials are often all about the message, and this time around it is no exception. This is a beautifully-shot commercial that tells a wonderful story over a short period of time, and it fits in perfectly with the storied history of ads from this company at the big game. We’ve always found it striking that Budweiser tends to go for the heartstrings year after year, but there’s clearly something that works for them in doing so. It’s a change of pace from the rest of the ads that they show during the game.
What didn’t – This is all subjective. If you feel like this ad is directly a response to President Trump’s immigration-related executive order, then odds are that you are not going to be a fan of it. For the record, this commercial was likely conceived and created long before that came into effect.
Overall – It does not necessarily have the profound impact of some other ads that have aired during the big game in the past, but this is still a masterfully-shot work of art for a company that continues to have a proud history of delivering fantastic, interesting, and relevant spots. It’ll be remembered for some time. Grade: A.
What did you think of the ad? Share now in the comments, and head over here to get some other commercials from the big game! (Photo: Budweiser.)
