Football and Beer!
Every year, the Super Bowl is the most watched American broadcast on television yearly. The game last week between the Seahawks and Broncos was no exception with reported numbers of 111.5 million viewers watching worldwide.
Every year, the Super Bowl is the most watched American broadcast on television yearly. The game last week between the Seahawks and Broncos was no exception with reported numbers of 111.5 million viewers watching worldwide.
http://www.ibtimes.com/super-bowl-2014-ratings-how-many-people-watched-seattle-seahawks-vs-denver-broncos-1552989
Due to the critical mass of viewers, the Super Bowl is a valuable opportunity for advertisers to reach out to the mass public. As such, the network may charge an excessive premium on advertising during the game, with prices reaching $4 million for a mere 30 second slot.
Due to the critical mass of viewers, the Super Bowl is a valuable opportunity for advertisers to reach out to the mass public. As such, the network may charge an excessive premium on advertising during the game, with prices reaching $4 million for a mere 30 second slot.
As we all know, the game was a total flop! So I have no
shame in admitting that I didn't bother watching it to the end. Even though I
don’t support the Broncos I just couldn't bear to see them losing so badly to
the Seahawks. So really, I sat in anguish during the game, anxiously awaiting the
commercial breaks to distract me from the mental torment. More than that,
we all look forward to the commercials each year. We are excited to see what
brilliant ideas the brains sitting at the desks of multi billion global
companies can conjure up. Ideas that justify the expenditure of millions of
dollars for just a few mere seconds of broadcasting.
Out of all the commercials I saw the ones which stand out most
in the back of my mind are the Budweiser ads. I imagine a lot of people were
moved by the one with the puppy and horse. Although adorable, I was more
engrossed by the one with the soldier’s homecoming parade titled “A Hero’s
Welcome”. At present, it has been on YouTube for only 4 days and has
accumulated over 8 million views. For those who haven’t seen it or need a
reminder, the commercial can be found below.
So what is the message behind this commercial? What does it
have to do with beer considering that not a single bottle is opened for the
entire commercial? What is it that makes it so special that Budweiser paid
millions to broadcast it? I'm no expert, but here is how I interpret it.
Everything about this commercial is real! This isn't just
some random actors following a script, it is real life. It tells the story of
Lt. Chuck Nadd returning from his tour in Afghanistan. We know the soldier’s
name and we follow him from his arrival at the airport, falling into the
embrace of his girlfriend. We see the surprise on his face the moment he
arrives into his home town and finds everyone eagerly awaiting him. We also catch glimpses
of the endearing signs people are holding above their heads as he rides through
the ticker-tape parade held in his honour. This short, but emotional journey is actually
quite personal. We are invited to watch a very sentimental moment of this
individual’s life, which captures our hearts and captivates our attention by
drawing us in. I am convinced of this simply by the fact that as this
commercial aired, a couple of my friends began bawling their eyes out! It is
very rare that a one minute ad can have such an emotional impact on people.
But what has all this got to do with Budweiser beer? Well
Budweiser is an American beer, so what better way to promote an American beer
than by playing a commercial which has a strong sense of patriotism about it. I
don’t wish to point at stereotypes but when it comes to patriots America is
definitely high in the ranks and this commercial is oozing with signs of patriotism. The story follows a soldier who has been fighting for his
country in Afghanistan. Americans pride themselves on being a country of
freedom, a right which many soldiers have laid their lives on the line for.
Honouring Chucks return after his service to his country, with a parade filled
with many star spangled banners and flags, alongside decorated soldiers and war
veterans, would make most people feel proud of being an American citizen. The
fact that Budweiser played a central role in putting the parade together will
remind viewers that Budweiser beer is in essence a strong part of American
culture, a country they too support. This message is very strongly empathised by the final caption of the commercial, when the Budweiser logo appears across the screen with the words “Salute a Hero” written underneath. So after viewing the commercial many
viewers may feel the urge to drink Budweiser as it serves as a conscious reminder that Budweiser beer is a part of what makes America...America!
There is more about this commercial that can probably be
broken down and analysed. Like the use of the colour red flooding many of the
scenes. The colour of Budweiser’s red logo fits in nicely with the patriotic
theme matching the coloured stripes of the American flag.
Furthermore, if we wish to focus on basic aspects of
advertising; beer is known to go well with sports. Men typically like to drink
it when they are watching sports on TV. So broadcasting a commercial during the Super Bowl (or any sport for that matter) is no doubt a prime time to promote
beer.
If you wish to read any further information about Lt. Chuck
or the commercial, I have provided a link below.
Thanks for reading!
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