By Claire Bailey & Matthew Nguyen

Alcohol is one of the most widespread and commonly used/abused drug in the world. We chose alcohol because we felt it was relevant to ourselves as college students, given the stigma behind alcohol and binge drinking in universities. We chose this specific commercial because we thought there were lots of clever strategies Bud Light used in order to glamorize alcohol and their product. It was fun, interesting and enjoyable to watch. Bud Light is such a big brand name too, we wanted to dive deeper into their purpose and understand what the company was all about. 

History

Anheuser-Busch is the original company who manufactures Budweiser, the first version of their American-style beer. Bud light is one of their products under the Budweiser brand that serves as a lower caloric beer option. Bud light first appeared on the scene after multiple failed attempts to compete with Lite Beer from Miller. Miller had launched their version of light beer in 1973, four years before Anheuser-Busch’s “Budweiser Light.” With this headstart, Miller was able to dominate the beer industry and institutionalize their product. When someone ordered a light beer in a bar without any specifications, a Lite Beer from Miller was the default beverage to serve customers (Lefton, 2007).

The “Gimme a light” bar call campaign was the game-changer for Anheuser-Busch. It consisted of ads broadcasted across radio stations with the assumption that when one ordered a light beer without specification, they were given anything but a light beer. Only when the customer specified they wanted a “Bud Light” would their request be granted with a cool refreshing Bud Light beer. The combination of humor and accessibility in their ad campaign projected sales through the roof. Anheuser-Busch continued to push their product using this leverage and the power of the big brand name “Bud Light” (Lefton, 2007).

The mission of Bud Light is to make their beer a fun, social and acceptable drink. Their target audience at the time were 21-27 year olds. They wanted to capture new drinkers and get them hooked. Bud Light is all about being with friends and family, hosting a party or enjoying a sporting event. Do not underestimate the power sports played in the success of Anheuser-Busch. Marketing executives saw the opportunity to connect people’s passions for their sports team with drinking a Bud Light. This tactic further separated the company from its competitors. They also utilized the “health conscious” movement Americans were going through in the 2000s. Emphasizing lower caloric value especially caught the attention of female drinkers (Lefton, 2007).

Bud Light is currently America’s and the world’s biggest beer brand (Lefton, 2007). The product has dominated pop culture and made itself a household item. At this point in the game, unless a new company creates something more revolutionary and fitting for the 21st century, Bud Light is untouchable.

Intended Audience

The intended audience for the Bud Light Superbowl Commercial is essentially all Americans of legal drinking age. This ad was aired during Super Bowl 50, which means lots of American football sports fans will view this commercial; possibly even people who don’t watch sports because it will be on television in the family room. Bud Light utilizes humor, celebrities, the sense of unity, America’s favorite pastimes and gender inclusion (i.e. not just males) to capture attention and make it memorable. Seth Rogen and Amy Schumer first grab the audience’s attention because they are celebrities. These comedians use humor in the ad in order to make the viewer laugh and build positive associations with Bud Light beer. Every scene includes Rogen and Schumer in some sort of gathering place where Americans thrive. For example: a bar, a construction site, a basketball game, a rodeo, New York City and a political pep rally. This helps show how Americans can come together and relate to one another. It shows that despite our differences, we are all the same type of people. A subtle tactic they used in the ad was making sure there were males and females in the crowds. This sends the message that Bud Light is for everyone (“Seth Rogen,” 2016).

Active Ingredients

Bud Light beer is specifically made with barley, rice, water, and hops. While these ingredients aren’t considered drugs by any means, the brewing process of turning these ingredients into beer creates ethanol. Ethanol, mostly known as “alcohol,” is one of the most commonly consumed psychoactive drugs in the world (Martin, J. Laura. 2016). In low doses, alcoholic drinks can cause euphoria, reduced anxiety, and increased sociability. In higher doses, however, drinks containing ethanol can cause loss of consciousness, severely impaired motor skills, sedation, loss of memory, death, and depression of the central nervous system’s ability to function. This suppression of activity in the central nervous system is caused by alcohol increasing the effect of an inhibitory neurotransmitter called y-aminobutyric acid, also known as GABA. The euphoric effects of alcohol are caused by increased dopamine levels in the brain (Lobo, I. A., & Harris, R. A. 2008).

Because alcohol is so widely available, it is very accessible, and therefore easy to get addicted to. Alcohol, because of its psychoactive effects, is addictive, and can lead to issues such as alcoholism, liver damage, birth defects, dependence, etc. Other than health issues, drinking alcohol also can lead to risky situations, such as driving while intoxicated, unsafe sex, etc. (Brust, J. C. M. 2010). According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, in 2015, 88,000 alcohol-related deaths occurred (CDC, 2016). Almost 10,000 of those deaths were due to drunk driving, which means drunk driving caused about 31% of all fatal driving accidents that year. Economically speaking, alcohol also has a literal price; in 2010, alcohol misuse cost the United States $249 billion (Sacks, J.J., Gonzales, K.R., & Bouchery, E.E. et al 2010).

Advertising Techniques

Before evaluating this commercial for its advertising techniques, we must understand the context. This commercial was made specifically for the 2016 Super Bowl, at a time when political tensions were high in the United States. This commercial tries to help ease the tension by uniting the country under one common interest: drinking cheap beer. We must also understand that because this is a commercial produced specifically to be shown during the Super Bowl, it was created with the idea that it would be seen by millions of people, as the Super Bowl is one of the most watched television programs annually. Because they understand that this advertisement would reach a lot of audiences, they didn’t limit their budget, and created a very dynamic commercial. They use a lot of advertisement techniques, such as using celebrities. Two very popular comedians, Seth Rogen and Amy Schumer, along with other actors (Michael Peña and Paul Rudd), are tools used in the advertisement as their notoriety helps sell their product (Bud Light Beer). Products and services tend to have more credibility when they show celebrities endorsing them. Beyond celebrity endorsement, the idea of unifying the country through beer is very patriotic, and patriotism also appeals to audiences as well. This idea of unity is also a part of their bandwagon advertising technique, as they are asking everyone to join their “caucus.” More simple techniques are also used, such as humor, and visual imagery. The commercial itself is very lively and energetic. The cinematography used is almost movie-like, and it gives the commercial a sense of grandeur. All of these techniques combined together have created a very strong advertisement. However, it is not entirely accurate to the actual act of drinking, as it doesn’t mention any of the effects of alcohol. The advertisement doesn’t really talk about drinking or getting drunk, it just celebrates the beer. It does not mention the short-term or long-term effects of alcohol, such as intoxication, or alcohol dependence.

Overall Opinion

Overall, after doing research on alcohol (ethanol) as a recreational drug, it’s fair to believe that alcohol can be dangerous when used irresponsibly. Because heavy alcohol use can lead to adverse effects on one’s health, such as liver damage, birth defects, dependence, and withdrawal, it shouldn’t be recommended that one drinks in excess. Binge drinking can also lead to dangerous situations such as drunk driving, and can lead to poor health after long-term use of alcohol. In extreme cases, it can even lead to death, such as the 88,000 deaths due to alcohol in 2015 (Brust, J. C. M. 2010). However, there has been studies shown that moderate alcohol use actually has health benefits. According to the NIH, moderate alcohol use may cause lowered risk for heart disease and stroke, as well as a decreased risk for diabetes (U.S. Department of Agriculture (2015). Although alcohol is okay to consume in moderation, the issue is that it is not always consumed this way, and is instead misused and abused. Binge drinking and alcoholism is all too common in our society, as most people do not understand the concept of drinking in moderation. In conclusion, we’d recommend drinking alcohol only in moderation.

Sources:

(2016). Seth Rogen ‘The Bud Light Party’ Bud Light Super Bowl 2016 TV Commercial. Youtube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RYv9WbgDvN4

Brust, J. C. M. (2010). Ethanol and Cognition: Indirect Effects, Neurotoxicity and Neuroprotection: A Review. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 7(4), 1540–1557. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2872345/

Lefton, T. (2007). The Making of Bud Light. Sports Business Daily. http://www.sportsbusinessdaily.com/Journal/Issues/2007/06/20070611/SBJ-In-Depth/The-Making-Of-Bud-Light.aspx

CDC (2016). Alcohol and Public Health: Alcohol-Related Disease Impact (ARDI). Average for United States 2006–2010 Alcohol-Attributable Deaths Due to Excessive Alcohol Use. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). https://nccd.cdc.gov/DPH_ARDI/Default/Report.aspx?T=AAM&P=f6d7eda7-036e-4553-9968-9b17ffad620e&R=d7a9b303-48e9-4440-bf47-070a4827e1fd&M=8E1C5233-5640-4EE8-9247-1ECA7DA325B9&F=&D=

Lobo, I. A., & Harris, R. A. (2008). GABAA receptors and alcohol. Pharmacology, Biochemistry, and Behavior, 90(1), 90–94. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2872345/

Martin, J. Laura. (2016). Alcohol use and safe drinking. Medline Plus. U.S. National Library of Medicine. https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/001944.htm

Sacks, J.J., Gonzales, K.R., & Bouchery, E.E. et al (2010) national and state costs of excessive alcohol consumption. American Journal of Preventive Medicine 49(5):e73– e79, 2015. PMID: 26477807 https://www.niaaa.nih.gov/alcohol-health/overview-alcohol-consumption/alcohol-facts-and-statistics

U.S. Department of Agriculture (2015). Scientific Report of the 2015 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee, Part D. Chapter 2, Table D2.3, p. 43. https://health.gov/dietaryguidelines/2015-scientific-report/pdfs/scientific-report-of-the-2015-dietary-guidelines-advisory-committee.pdf