Something tells us Bud Light's marketing brain trust never actually conducted a grand internal debate about abandoning the brand's entertainment-based ads. There was probably no careful thought given to replacing silly, quasi-political comedy delivered by a pair of minor actors, with a real selling message. We figure the brand people just thought they needed an ad to support a limited-edition-can promotion for the football season, and the goofy celebrities with their pointless low-grade humor will still be around.
Regardless, this moment in advertising time is marked by the first Bud Light ad in memory that tells the audience there's something unique and different about the brand. Take a look...
Regardless, this moment in advertising time is marked by the first Bud Light ad in memory that tells the audience there's something unique and different about the brand. Take a look...
Every one of these amusing vignettes cleverly presents a Bud Light can design customized for many--although not all--of the NFL teams. Bears, Vikings, and Packers fans may have to make do with Bud Light in an opposing team's colors since their preferred team is aligned with a competing beer brand. But there is no mistaking the fact that only one beer brand will offer team logos on team-colored cans, and given the popularity of NFL franchises, it's a fair bet that plenty of beer drinkers will find this chance to show off their loyalty worth spending money on.
These distinctive cans will sell beer. Lots of beer.
To be sure, this bit of distinctiveness is package-related, not actually beer-related. A distinctiveness-based Bud Light strategic effort that would tie to the beer with strong statements of ingredients, or brewing process, or taste character, or other brewery points of difference could be both more compelling and longer lived. But distinctiveness is distinctiveness, and it will sell beer.
Perhaps the best outcome of this NFL-can advertising will arrive courtesy of the cash register. As of right now, Bud Light sales are down more than 2% for the year. They have trended this way all the time the goofy humor ads have been running. Let's watch what happens when this distinctivenes-based effort hits the market.
If, as we expect, the brand enjoys some real positive business results, well, maybe then the Bud Light brain trust will finally get the message, and get busy finding the strategic brand-distictiveness fact or facts that could finally yield advertising to build the brand longer term.
Stay tuned.
We will.
Perhaps the best outcome of this NFL-can advertising will arrive courtesy of the cash register. As of right now, Bud Light sales are down more than 2% for the year. They have trended this way all the time the goofy humor ads have been running. Let's watch what happens when this distinctivenes-based effort hits the market.
If, as we expect, the brand enjoys some real positive business results, well, maybe then the Bud Light brain trust will finally get the message, and get busy finding the strategic brand-distictiveness fact or facts that could finally yield advertising to build the brand longer term.
Stay tuned.
We will.
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