One of the top buzz-generating SuperBowl ads this year was the much-awwwwwwed Budweiser puppy commercial. Regrettably, it seemed the people who made the commercial thought all it took to sell beer was a cute dog. No facts about the beer were part of the ad. Nothing to make Budweiser distinctive. As we said at the time-- and since-- it was a terrific commercial for puppy-adoption. But we also predicted what research showed: it sold nary a bottle of Budweiser.
Dog #1 didn't hunt.
Just in time for the fall holidays comes the second Budweiser hound. Like the puppy, he's probably not going to sell any Budweiser, either. But this time, it's okay. Responsible-consumption is the socially conscious theme here.
The job was to cause drinkers to carefully consider whether they should attempt to drive home after a night of drinking. The emotionally charged dog-losing-its-owner mini-play--cleverly false-carded in the commercial-- hits home. We'd go so far as to say this is the best example of responsible-consumption beer advertising we've seen in many years.
The advertising progression is clear and encouraging: From a dog that won't hunt, to one that does.
Perhaps we can look forward to a Budweiser Dog #3 actually selling some beer!