Bud Light's new ads are... sinful

After all the hype, Bud Light's "whatever's next" is just "whatever." (Part 2)

Earlier in Part 1, we gave our overall assessment of the new Bud Light ads. Here in Part 2, we dig a little deeper to see what contributed to our conclusion that these are not effective beer ads.

Against our "Seven Deadly Sins of Beer Advertising," let's look at the Bud Light ads...

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                     Sin

1. Portraying beer drinkers in an unflattering way. It's hard to believe how commonly this mistake is made.

2. Entertainment for its own sake. If it seems like the commerical's so entertaining it's not really advertising, then that's probably the case.

3. Missing anything aspirational. Remember, beer's a "want," not a "need."

4. Saying nothing about what makes the brand special. The #1 job of beer advertising is to make the brand more special and distinctive than the other guy's. There is great peril in failing to do so.

5. Selling beer, but failing to sell the brand. Slapping a logo at the end of a series of joyful beer-moments is pointless. 

6. No appetite appeal. Beer is food, and appetite appeal sells food.

7. Trying way too hard to be "cool." The leading edge is often a bleeding edge. "Be true to yourself" is good advice to beer brands.

         Bud Light

1. Pass. The one lucky Matt Damon-looking Bud Light guy comes off as normal and likable.
He's not made fun of.

2. Fail. Seeing this one guy get punked into THE COOLEST PARTY EVER plays like a reality show. Very entertaining, very... not advertising.

3. Push. The winning is aspirational, in spite of the impossible odds.

4. Fail. BIG fail.  "The perfect beer for whatever" is neither explained nor supported. "Perfect beer" how? As a result, there is nothing for the audience to identify as special about Bud Light. Special party; any beer.

5. Fail. The COOLEST PARTY EVER could have as easily been sponsored by Miller Lite. Or Heineken... which it was.

6. Fail. There is not a shred of appetite appeal here. Nothing to romance the beer itself.

7. Fail. Here's where the entire commercial idea fails. "Cool" is not a strategy; at best it's a consequence of a successful strategy.

Behind advertising this flawed, Bud Light has already begun spending tens of millions of dollars. 

It's sinful.