Super Bowl 50: Advertising, Marketing & Social Media

As a lame duck New York Jets, fan I could not have been less interested in this year’s Superbowl. In fact, my level of interest was so low that I didn’t watch the game at all. However, for the purpose of this class I did take substantial time the following day to watch the advertisements that played throughout the Superbowl. While I am certain that I enjoyed viewing the advertisements more than I would have enjoyed watching the game I couldn’t help but to feel disappointed. None of the ads I watched compared to the comedic or emotional significance that I remember from previous years.

In particular, I would like to discuss Budweiser’s lameness in contrast with their masterpiece from last years Superbowl ads featuring the “Budweiser puppy.” Their advertisement from a year ago, portrayed an unlikely friendship between a horse on a farm, and the farmer’s puppy. The musical choice provokes an emotional response where the viewer wants to see all aspects of the American farmer’s house hold united, which eventually happens through the help of Budweiser. The depiction of the unlikely friendship between the puppy and the horse is a heart warming story with a positive message that leaves a strong impression on the viewer, who is likely to re-watch the ad.

Conversely, Budweiser failed to create a commercial this year that could even compare with the success of their 2015 ads. In particular, I am discussing the “Not Backing Down” Budweiser ad. With this, they completely abandoned any form of sentimental angle, instead their commercial created a competitive atmosphere. Essentially the adds message was, “Where an American company, we are tough, we are not craft beer, and we are proud!” While I found there to be a comedic element (probably not intended) to this approach, the aggressive single dimension style of the commercial lacks the level of staying power held by the Budweiser puppy ad from 2015. As my interest in football decreases every year, company’s like Budweiser are going to need to step up their game if they want me to watch.