Super Bowl commercials are arguably the most highly anticipated marketing materials that some companies produce, and none seem to stand out more than Budweiser. I believe they did a fantastic job at utilizing their one-minute of airtime this year by delivering a non-conventional ad for a beer company.
This year’s commercial, titled “Brotherhood,” was based on one of Budweiser’s key identifiers, the Budweiser Clydesdales. It depicted a story of a farmer raising a young foal from birth and their close-knit journey throughout the foal’s life. Later, the farmer decides to sell the foal to Budweiser, but he soon seems lost without his friend. Three years later, he becomes aware that the Budweiser Clydesdales are coming to Chicago, assumedly nearby, and he travels to Chicago and is fortunate enough to be reunited with his lost friend.
I believe this commercial really stands out from a marketing perspective for two reasons. First of all, not many advertisements are able to tell a significant story, especially not many this developed and emotional. This ad appeals to a much wider demographic because of this, and Budweiser is still able to achieve the brand and product placement it desires. In addition, at the end of the commercial there was a “call of action” when it asked the audience to “help name the baby Clydesdale seen in this commercial” via Twitter. Not only does this effective utilization of social media allow Budweiser to more effectively target the younger demographic, it also makes the advertisement have a more lasting impression on the consumer as many would be naturally curious about what the young horse would end up being called.
Budweiser spent north of $7-million on their commercial, but I believe they made most of it.