It sounds vaguely familiar.
The Anheuser-Busch press release teasing the new Bud Light ads explained they "...will celebrate bringing people together–for fun–over a beer." (Note: "a" beer.)
Where have we seen and heard this sort of thing before? Do any other beer brands come to mind besides Bud Light? Or maybe a better question: Do any other beer brands not come to mind?
Weren't all those "whatever" parties of the past two years about "bringing people together for fun over a beer," too?
Will these new ads amount to little more than a different tack on the failed "Up for" strategy?
The Bud Light marketing guy gushed on: "This is more than just a Super Bowl ad, it's a completely new communication of what Bud Light stands for–inclusivity, positivity and fun."
This is not confidence-inspiring.
Which BigBeer brand is not inclusive? Not positive? Not fun? And did "Up for Whatever" lack for inclusivity, positivity and fun?
Don't count on celebrities to save a flawed strategy, either. It sure didn't work last time.
Maybe most important of all, what exactly is distinctive about Bud Light? That lots of people drink it? That if you're throwing a party and don't care enough about your friends to offer more than one beer-choice, Bud Light's what you should buy? That it's such a very common beer?
How can "un-special" possibly be... distinctive?
2.7.16
Of course, the ads have yet to air*, so we're just speculating--and worrying--based on what the brewery's said so far. We obviously have more questions than answers.
But the questions are pretty scary if you're America's number-one beer looking to get back on track.
It turns out, our "scary prediction" was 100% accurate.
Bud Light's SuperBowl ad has been released since this article was originally published. It's shown here.