How to make an ad as effective as Budweiser’s

Over the years, we’ve spared Anheuser-Busch no amount of criticism for its ineffective advertising, not least of all for Budweiser, once its largest, and still its most storied brand.

Indeed, the URL for this site seemed to sound an unheeded appeal to the brand to straighten itself out. We might have been forgiven for thinking marketing leadership at the world’s largest brewer just didn’t understand how advertising works.

Until SuperBowl XLIX demonstrated otherwise.

Much has been written about the Budweiser “macro-beer” commercial. Most of it concerned whether the use of craft beer as a foil, and the portrayal of facial-hair-adorned craft-beer drinkers as fussy, taste-analyzing dweebs was fair/mean/undeserved/likely to backfire, etc.

What’s received virtually no attention is the structure and content of the Budweiser commercial. But therein lies its true beauty; the reason it’s such an effective ad. So, let’s set the whining of craft-beer types aside, and become students of why this commercial works so well.

Simply put, this is an ad that absolutely nails four keys to creating solid, effective beer-selling messages.

1. Speak provocatively to the target

Is this you? If not, Budweiser wants a word with you.

Why portray craft-beer folks as men who fuss over their beer, sniffing its aroma from wine-shaped stemware? Did they think this would win over craft-beer loyalists? Of course not.

Budweiser was using this counterpoint to call out to its audience: beer drinkers who aren’t like that. A-B aimed to give Bud drinkers new reason to be proud of their choice. And also to reach out to guys who dabble in craft beer, but still choose Bud from time to time.

The aim for both groups: Increase the frequency of their calls for a Budweiser.

The whine-volume from the craft-beer crowd actually demonstrates how effectively Budweiser targeted its message.

2. State a benefit the brand offers beer drinkers

People purchase any brand because they perceive it will deliver them a benefit. So, in evaluating ads, it’s worth asking “What’s the benefit being offered here?”

The more anchored it is in a perceivable, beer-drinking-experience difference, the more powerful the benefit will be. So, if you choose Budweiser, the promised benefit is an in-mouth experience. Expect a crisp finish with none of the aftertaste so very common in virtually all craft beer.

3. Support why the brand can lay claim to the benefit

The reason why

Upon hearing the promise of a benefit, the human psyche immediately wants a reason why the advertised brand can deliver on its word.

The bigger the claimed benefit and/or the more competitive the product category, the greater the need for this “reason why.”

Claim you can cure cancer and you better be able to back it up.

Often referred to by advertising scholars as a “permission to believe,” the reason-why doesn’t necessarily have to present the entire “permission,” only enough information for the psyche to respond, “Okay, that makes sense.”

4. Communicate the brand’s uniqueness

“One and only”… as in “unique.”

To “seal the deal” and close the sale, the ad needs to communicate that, if the benefit and reason-why got your interest, there’s only one brand you can buy to avail yourself of it.

As an example of failing to do this, one need only watch the Bud Light “Whatever” beer-party ads.

In addition to not offering a reason-why, there’s absolutely no statement of how or why Bud Light is unique.

Now, here’s a solid ad Budweiser didn’t make…

A telling–but unintended– example of how effective advertising can be when it delivers on these four keys came by way of a quickly assembled online parody of Budweiser’s commercial.

It was intended to turn the tables, but instead serves to underscore the effectiveness of the big brewer’s advertising approach.

Of course, as a parody, it apes the style of the original. But watch and see how it (1) addresses its target, (2) states a benefit, (3) provides reason(s)-why, and (4) communicates uniqueness…

It looks like at least some of the crafties quit whining long enough to learn a bit about making effective beer ads.

Class dismissed.