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Beer, Puppies, and Brand Loyalty Sonika Suri Loyola Marymount University CMST 451 Professor Kyra Pearson 5th December 2014
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How Budweiser Used The All-American Lifestyle to Create a Tribe That Can’t Get Enough Google CEO Eric Schmidt once said that the “gift of advertising [is] to connect with people in a human way - to make the kind of emotional connections that are at the core of storytelling.” Schmidt certainly isn’t an advertising expert, but he doesn’t need to be one to understand the power of emotive advertising. His statement makes it clear that he understands the promise of advertising done right; advertising that uses emotion to inspire, delight, engage, entertain, and create a sense of deep loyalty, all rooted in human truth. But is that enough to sell cars, or shoes, or books, or laptops? I chose to explore the topic of emotional advertising and brand loyalty for my research project because there has been a lot of conversation in the ad world about the topic today. A quick Google search for “emotional advertising” generates over 118 million results; the headlines range from “Sad Men: How Advertisers Are Selling With Emotion” to “Neuromarketing: Emotional Ads Work Best.” It’s clear that the media is certainly in a frenzy when it comes to this topic, which only prompted me to want to explore it further. Specifically, I wanted to look into one brand in particular: a popular, run-of-the-mill, all-American beer brand. Budweiser. The amount of attention the brand was able to garner from its extremely popular “Puppy Love” Super Bowl spot in 2014 as well as the September 2014 ad “Friends are Waiting.” This was incredibly interesting to me: how could an average tasting, cheap, and by all accounts unremarkable beer brand manage to captivate an entire country with some furry animals? And more importantly, did the messaging and imagery in these ads make people like the brand any more than they did before? Which lead me to an even broader research question, which I will delve into at length in this paper: does emotional advertising generate brand loyalty?
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Rhetorical scholars have examined the impact of brand loyalty, ultimately examining the motives of the consumers utilizing both theoretical and marketing perspectives as their foundation. According to scholar Abdelmajid Amine, “Various reasons may explain consumers’ behaviour when they buy the same brand repeatedly. This consistent behaviour may be due to some contingent factors such as store loyalty, lower price, narrow assortment, etc. It could inversely express an attachment to this brand or a conviction about its superiority compared to the competitive brands on functional, symbolic or psychological attributes. In fact, the consistent purchase of a brand depends on the consumers’ perceived benefits related to keeping on this relationship with the brand (search effort reduction or increasing satisfaction)” (Amine, 1998, p. 305). Clearly, scholars such as Amine have been researching the concept of brand loyalty and its affects on consumers; carefully analyzing what the driving factors are when it comes to attachment to a particular brand. Much like Amine, rhetorical theorists, Vonreisen and Herndon introduce different forms of brand loyalty that can be attributed to various motivations concerning buyer behavior. In their research, Vonreisen and Herndon discovered that, “This sort of purchasing behavior, however, can be the result of very different motivations. In some instances, consumers purchase a brand repeatedly because they have formed a strong attachment to the brand’s attributes, that is, they are truly fond of the brand. In other cases, consumers make repeat purchases of a brand simply because the brand provides an adequate solution to a problem.” (Vonreisen & Herndon, 2011, p. 328). Evidently, scholars have conducted similar research on the concept of brand loyalty, carefully studying both the causes and affects of it. To provide some context on the rhetoric I chose to analyze specifically, the first advertisement, “Puppy Love” begins with an image of a sign that says “Warm Springs Puppy Adoption” and then shows a small golden retriever puppy escaping from the others and going to
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the horse stables on a farm next door the adoption center where a beautiful woman works. In the duration of the advertisement, we see this same small puppy attempting to escape to the horse stables where he goes to constantly visit his best friend, a large horse, but the owner, a handsome man, returns him back to the adoption center every time. One day, a man with sunglasses comes to adopt the puppy, and as he is driving away, the emotional song ‘Let Her Go’ comes on, and we see the horse and his friends from the stables running after the car. The man in the car stops, and at the end of the advertisement, we see the horse and the puppy playing on the farm and the two owners, man and woman watching them behind the fence. It is only at the end of the advertisement that the audience becomes aware that this is a Budweiser ad. In the duration of the ad, there is no mention of the brand whatsoever, and at the end when it is brought up, there is a hashtag, ‘#bestbuds.’ The second advertisement I wish to analyze is the “Friends Are Waiting” ad by Budweiser. This particular ad features the alcoholic beverage in the ad as opposed to the “Puppy Love” ad. In the beginning of the “Friends Are Waiting” advertisement, we see a man carrying a golden retriever puppy over his shoulder and bringing him into his home. Thereafter, the audience sees the many moments shared between the man and his puppy and we see the dog progressively grow up as the man himself grows. In the middle of the advertisement, we see the man suddenly rush out of his home with his friends, one of them carrying a case of Budweiser. The dog anxiously waits for his owner, looking out the window and wondering where he could possibly be all night long. As the dog waits, he begins to whine at the end of the night and we see white words on a black background that says, “For some, the waiting never ended. But we can change that.” Immediately after this, the door of the home swings open and the man comes home and tells his dog, “Hey, I’m sorry, I decided I shouldn’t drive home last night.” White words on a
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black background appear again that say, “Make a plan to make it home. Your friends are counting on you.” Then flashes back to the man embracing his dog, and at the end it says ‘Budweiser’ with a hashtag ‘friends are waiting.’ Ultimately, the thesis that I will attempt to prove throughout this paper is, based on my analysis of the two artifacts is as follows: I found that Budweiser’s campaigns establish the power of friendship through their depiction of the “All-American lifestyle,” leading to positive brand associations and ultimately cultivating brand loyalty on the part of the consumer. I will analyze the aforementioned artifacts as they relate to brand loyalty through an ideological criticism, pinpointing specific methodologies used by the rhetor. In order to analyze the way in which Budweiser was able to generate a large following of loyal fans through the aforementioned ads, it is important to first look at the brand’s production context. In particular, I took a look at the competition—two of the world’s most beloved brands —to see how they used emotional advertising to create a loyal tribe. I also looked at what Budweiser had done in the past, who their consumer base already was, and how they could appeal to an even broader, more diverse audience. In the words of Lori Senecal, Chairman and CEO of Kirshenbaum Bond Senecal + Partners advertising agency, “Truly memorable ad campaigns create a visceral response — one of joy, wonder, shock, inspiration, motivation, compassion or surprise. If this is achieved, chances are the message will break through and stay with you” (Senecal, 2013; cited in Smith, 2013, p. 1). Evidently, the most successful achievement in advertising today is not just selling a product, but rather selling a brand through a story. Budweiser, much like many other brands, utilizes emotional based advertising in order to sell its product, and in result, gains brand loyalty among its audience. Budweiser’s “Puppy Love” advertisement was released during the time of
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the Super Bowl XLVIII on Wednesday, January 29th, 2014 as a follow up advertisement to the famous “Brotherhood” Budweiser beer commercial. The “Puppy Love” advertisement was created by the world-renowned advertising agency, Anomaly, depicting the relationship between a puppy and a Clydesdale horse. Budweiser’s other advertisement, “Friends are waiting” was a PSA for drinking and driving released by Anhueser-Busch in order to gain awareness of the issue, specifically among younger drivers (ages 21-30). The advertisement first gained its traction on YouTube with its global release on September 19th 2014 in correlation with Budweiser’s “Global Be(er) Responsible Day.” While Budweiser does demonstrate innovative techniques when it comes to selling their products, they are not the only leaders in emotional advertising. Brands such as Coca-Cola and Nike have also created successful campaigns in order to continue the legacy of their brands. One of the most well-known brands in the world is Coca-Cola, as their advertising continues to prove their imagination and creativity while also tugging at the heartstrings of their consumers. The brand has always manages to tell stories through their countless advertisements and mini documentaries justifying their tagline, “Open Happiness.” Most recently, Coca-Cola’s 2014 “Rather be” T.V. spot captivated its audience with an upbeat, relatable commercial revolving around the same concept “Open Happiness.” Additionally, Coca-Cola’s “Share A Coke” campaign created by ad agency Ogilvy launched in Australia in 2011 could not be a more accurate portrayal of originality in the advertising world. While the brand originally started the campaign to feature group names on it such as “BFF” “Family”, and “Star”, it grew even further with its personalization of the bottle. (Coca-Cola Company Staff, 2014, p.1). The company’s iconic idea stemmed from their desire to connect their consumers directly to the brand by having names printed on their bottles. Lucie Austin, one of brand executives behind the original
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campaign felt that Coca-Cola’s “Share a Coke” provided consumers with the most personal form of the brand as she stated, "We gave consumers an opportunity to express themselves through a bottle of Coke, and to share the experience with someone else. The fact that your name is on a Coke bottle, it can't get more personal than that!” (McQuilken, 2014, p.1). In Coca-Cola’s “Share a Coke this Summer” advertisement, Evidently, Coca-Cola’s strategy of brand identification is what led to the success and further loyalty of consumers to their brand. Much like Coca-Cola, Nike also manages to build its brand off of the use of storytelling. Nike’s emotional advertising is conveyed through the common thread that ties all of its ads together-inspiration. The structure of every Nike advertisement proves the brand’s technique of inspiration with its portrayal of a hero who, though initially faced with a great struggle, always manages to triumph in the end. While the brand consistently uses the similar hero struggle backbone since the release of its very first “Just do it” advertisement in 1988, the brand has consistently maintained its customer loyalty. Though storytelling typically involves a hero facing an external struggle and rising above the challenges, Nike breaks away from this traditional form of advertising. In its advertising, Nike presents its audience with a hero who is faced with an internal battle with themselves, and through perseverance and dedication, they are able to overcome their challenges (Newelle, 2014, p.1). Much like Nike and Coca-Cola, Budweiser has found a way to target a large percentage of their consumers by figuring out tactics to keep them engaged in their brand. For Budweiser, the brand has thrived off of its advertising. According to Business Insider from the initial investment the company made for the 2002 Super Bowl, “Budweiser was a "triumph of marketing over quality” (Russell, 2012, p.1). While Budweiser is not necessarily a first choice when it comes to avid beer drinkers, its successful advertising campaigns has allowed the brand
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to stay afloat. Despite the decline in taste, the brand has continued to maintain its image by keeping it exciting. According to Boston Business Journals, even though Budweiser is considered an older brand, millennials will remain loyal to it, “as long as they continue to receive functional, emotional and participative benefits” (Fromm, 2014, p.1). While the target for Budweiser varies based on its advertising, the primary audience for the brand are individuals ages 21-early 30s who value friendship and loyalty. Above all else, Budweiser managed to utilize emotional marketing to remain a relevant brand both amongst older drinkers (Gen X and Boomers) as well as connect with coming-of-age Millennials. Through strategic advertising, it’s become an iconic brand that isn’t linked to subpar beer or drunken escapades (a popular route for alcohol brands), but rather, positive feelings of companionship, togetherness, and delight. While Budwesier certainly had lofty goals for both “Puppy Love” and “Friends Are Waiting,” public engagement and the media are always the true gauges of success when it comes to advertising. Luckily, the ads received acclaim across the board. “Friends Are Waiting” elicited quite a positive response, with its powerful messages, and managed to gain over 7 million views online just days after it was uploaded on YouTube. According to the Examiner, the ad was such a huge hit with its target audience that the day of the Global Be(er) Responsible Day for Budweiser (September 26th) the YouTube video had already received a total of 16,499,145 aside from the other shares and likes on social media as well. Brian Perkins, Vice President of marketing at Budweiser told AdAge: “Friendship, camaraderie and enjoying great times are at the heart of Budweiser's most popular campaigns, and this video maintains that tradition but with an unexpected twist. Budweiser is known for connecting with beer drinkers in memorable ways, and our efforts to promote responsible drinking through this video are no exception” (Kass, 2014, p.1). In an article on the “Empirical Evaluation of the US Beer Institute’s Self-Regulation
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Code Governing the Content of Beer Advertising,” many advertisements for beer violate the code for appropriate Beer Advertising because they include sexual or provocative influences, neither of which Budweiser does in their advertising (Babor, et al., 2013, p.1). While the product is featured in “Friends are Waiting,” there is a blatant message directed to the viewers to drink responsibly from Budweiser. “Puppy Love” was no different. According to the Huffington Post, Anheuser-Busch was extremely successful in capturing America’s hearts with the adorable ad, portraying the similar theme of an unexpected but adorable friendship. The Huffington Post also mentioned, “The beer maker Anheuser-Busch sure had a lot to live up to this year after last year's 2013 Super Bowl ad ranked No. 1 on the USA Today Ad Meter. The spot featured an adorable newborn Clydesdale horse and captured America's hearts. This year's ad, entitled "Puppy Love," continues on with that same theme of an unexpected, but nevertheless adorable, friendship” (Taibi, 2014, p.1). It is also clear from conversations in the media that that Budweiser has been so successful because they sell the brand without actually selling the product. According to a study done on Beer advertising in the European Journal of Cultural Studies, “A majority of 84, or 55 percent, of the 153 beer commercials in our sample features an attempt to add an aura of authenticity to the advertised product. Of course, we found various other common themes too, particularly related to masculinity and (male) friendship, but we limit ourselves here to a discussion of the ways in which beers are endowed with auras of authenticity. We found that four different registers of authenticity are used to this end, referring to craftsmanship, historical rootedness, naturalness and location” (O’Neil et al., 2014, p. 589). While it is found that most advertising, especially for beer has to do with product descriptions and masculinity, it is evident that Budweiser does not take this approach in their
Suri 10 advertisements. Budweiser does not need to be explicit in conveying their messages, more often than not, as seen particularly in the “Puppy Love” advertisement; they are left to interpretation of the audience. In “The Cultural Meaning of Beer Commercials,” for example, the Strate discusses the idea that certain beer ads indicate, “That images and themes are drawn from our shared culture, and therefore tend to evoke similar meanings in many different people” (Strate, 1991,117). Rather than sell the taste of Budweiser beer, the company tells a story to the audience that is left up to their interpretation of the brand. Evidently, while both the advertisements tell a different story, much like the other more recent Budweiser campaigns, they have a way to the heart of the consumer. Both “Puppy Love” and “Friends are waiting” promote a sense of brand loyalty toward Budweiser as a company and a choice of beer because of advertisements such as these. Rather than forcing their products and beverages onto their consumers, Budweiser highlights the notion of deep loving relationships, and their story telling strategies make it so that consumers feel a connection to the brand and the friendships that come out of these stories. Clearly, both of these advertisements portray a similar theme in the power of relationships with their use of animals as the focal point, therefore convincing their audience to continue to buy into the brand. Once I took a look at both the Production Context and Reception Context of the two Budwesier ads, I wanted to dig deeper into my own personal analysis of the ads—the distinct method of storytelling they used to create a convincing connection with consumers, and ultimately generate the kind of brand loyalty that is hard to come by. As I’ve discussed at length to this point, Budweiser certainly believes in the power of brand loyalty and has focused much of its effort on creating that in its consumer base. In my comprehensive analysis of the two Budweiser advertisements, “Puppy Love” and “Friends are
Suri 11 Waiting,” I found that there were distinct strategies the company utilized in order to ultimately enhance the audience’s loyalty to the brand. The primary goal of generating brand loyalty of the audience through the artifacts was closely observed through an ideological criticism, pinpointing specific methodologies used by the rhetor. Based on my analysis of the two artifacts, I found that Budweiser’s campaigns establish the power of friendship through their depiction of the “AllAmerican lifestyle,” leading to positive brand associations and ultimately cultivating brand loyalty on the part of the consumer. The “Puppy Love” advertisement utilized pathos in order to create a loving connection and examples of true friendship rather than the brand forcing their product to the audience, therefore reinforcing what they hope to be true brand loyalty. In “Consumer Involvement With the Product and the Nature of Brand Loyalty,” Vonriesen and Herndon (2011), it was found that “The nature of brand loyalty is a concept that reflects the motivation for repeat or concentrated purchasing. Basically, there are two kinds of brand loyalty—true and spurious (Day, 1969). With each kind, different degrees may be evident. True loyalty represents repeat or concentrated purchasing that is associated with an attachment to attributes of the brand. The notion of attachment suggests a commitment to the brand” (Cunningham, 1967; cited in Vonriesen & Herndon, 2011, p.328). In “Puppy Love,” Budweiser makes a connection to the audience by not only tugging on their heartstrings through the use of adorable animals, they do so through their depiction of allAmerican ideals leading to the fulfillment of dreams. By creating a powerful storyline about true friendship and perseverance, the company was successful in not only engaging their audience, but also promoting a sense of true loyalty.
Suri 12 In order to foster this all-American theme in the advertisements, Budweiser successfully adapted the ideology of empowerment through storytelling. This idea of empowerment can be seen throughout the “Puppy Love” advertisement. At the very beginning of the advertisement, the audience is made well aware of the setting being a puppy adoption center, as the ad opens to a sign that reads, “Warm Springs Puppy Adoption.” As the camera flashes to the dogs in a cage, the audience is introduced to the main character, a Golden Retriever Puppy, who, unlike the rest of the puppies, does not seem to be caged. As the music begins to play in the background, the audience sees the puppy escape from underneath the fence, and sprint into an open field. Evidently, this scene sets the tone for the entirety of the artifact, signifying this puppy’s freedom and perseverance to reach an end goal. The cage is representative of the shackles of life that can hold an individual, or in this case a puppy back, and the open field may be symbolic of freedom. As the advertisement progresses, the audience sees the puppy run into the horse stables where he meets what appears to be his friend, a Clydesdale horse. As the puppy and horse are sharing their excitement with one another, a man who is in charge of the horse stables notices the interaction. This man then grabs the distressed puppy, and walks out of the stables. As this man is walking away with the puppy who clearly appears to me extremely upset, the words to the song say, “Only know your lover when you let her go.” While analyzing this interaction, I noticed that the company, yet again, created an obstacle for the puppy, but in this instance, it was the man. In the following scenes, the puppy is making unsuccessful attempts to escape back to the horse, representing his undying persistence. When the puppy is finally placed in the back of a car and cries for help, the Clydesdale horse summons his friends to run after the car while the lyrics sound, “And you let her go.” The idea of determination is apparent when the horses surround the car, and the scene flashes to the
Suri 13 puppy walking in front of 5 Clydesdale horses sounding off their excitement. The puppy runs to the stables and leaps into the arms of the owner of the stables. In the final scene of the advertisement, the puppy and the horse are seen playing happily and jumping around on the open field with the man and woman staring at them in excitement. While the artifact clearly depicts friendship and the close bond between the horse and the puppy, I found that this friendship is symbolic of so much more. The puppy not only epitomizes perseverance, he is also an extremely relatable character. Much like many Americans, the puppy goes through hurdles, both physical and emotional in order to reach his end goal, being with his horse. Evidently, Budweiser is proving that anything is possible to achieve with hard work and focus on a specific goal, which is why this advertisement is so empowering. Rather than let obstacles get in his way, the puppy chooses to push through in order to end up where he wants, making the story not only cute, but relatable as well. The puppy is clearly representative of empowerment, more specifically the “American Dream.” Much like the animals in the advertisement, the two owners at the ranch also represent all-American ideals. The owner of the stables not only appears to be good-looking, he is also a white man dressed in clothes that a farmer may wear, a denim outfit and baseball cap sifting through haystacks. When this man takes the distressed puppy out to the adoption owner, she also has the same all-American look. The woman is also white, beautiful, and blonde, dressed in casual denim outfit as well. While there is not as much focus on the man and the woman, it is obvious that the two are the owners of their specific divisions on the ranch. While the overall intent of this advertisement conveys the theme of empowerment through persistence, it is very much told from an all-American perspective.
Suri 14 Evidently, hoping to transform the audience’s idea of a cute beer advertisement to a powerful story about an “American Dream” may ultimately change the way Budweiser is perceived as a brand. Instead of buying a Budweiser beer because there is an attachment to the product, Budweiser’s storytelling without showing the actual product will hopefully spark affective commitment to the brand. In his article on “Consumers’ true brand loyalty: the central role of commitment,” Amine (1998) explains that with affective commitment, the individual will be impacted on an emotional level rather than what he describes as a calculative level. Amine explains affective commitment as “not due to an evaluation of the brand on the disaggregate level of its attributes. It comes from a holistic judgment of that brand in terms of liking or attachment.” Because affective commitment stems from emotional appeal, the consumer is less likely to alter their buyer behavior for that particular brand (Amine, 1998, p.310). Much like the “Puppy Love” advertisement, the “Friends are waiting” campaign also utilized the tactic of storytelling to encompass the all-American ideology. While “Friends are waiting” was not necessarily an advertisement for the brand, but rather a public service announcement, the artifact was still able to embody an attempt at brand loyalty. Though the advertisement may not have proven the all-American dream like the other, the relationship between the man and his dog symbolized the traditional all-American family dynamic. When the advertisement starts, the adorable puppy is being carried over the shoulder of a young man, as he says, “Welcome home buddy.” The advertisement then flashes to a scene where the young boy is playing with the puppy on the floor and embracing him as music plays in the background. The lyrics of the song say, “You and me where made for love, A lifetime is not long enough,
Suri 15 To show you, what you mean to me, O-O-O, I’ll be waiting here for you When you come home to me” (Budweiser, 2014). Not only do these lyrics foreshadow what happens in the duration of the advertisement, while the music is playing, there are several scenes with the man and his dog. The same puppy that this man owned has now grown up, and we watch him and the owner share memories together at the beach, driving in the car, and playing. The activities that the boy and his dog partake in are those of the traditional all-American boy, going to the beach, jumping into lakes, and having bonfires with friends. In the scene after the audience sees all the memories with the boy, his friends, and his loyal companion, who is his dog, there is a scene back in the house. The boy and his friends appear to be holding Budweiser beer cases, and they all leave the house, leaving the dog behind. As the dog waits, he begins to whine at the end of the night and we see white words on a black background that says, “For some, the waiting never ended.” “But we can change that.” Immediately after this, the door of the home swings open and the man comes home and tells his dog, “Hey, I’m sorry, I decided I shouldn’t drive home last night.” White words on a black background appear again that say, “Make a plan to make it home. Your friends are counting on you.” Then flashes back to the man embracing his dog, and at the end it says ‘Budweiser’ with a hashtag, ‘friends are waiting.’ It is in this scene the audience is exposed to the true empowerment of the advertisement. While this Budweiser advertisement also relies on pathos to send its message, the artifact is more than just adorable. The compelling message not only drives the audience to evaluate their decisions, but it also proves the power of relationships. As the puppy physically grew into a large
Suri 16 dog, the audience experiences an emotional transformation of the boy. While the boy may not have physically changed throughout the advertisement, it is evident that by his thoughtful decision to not drink and drive, the audience is not only empowered but also inspired. This particular scene reinforces the all-American ideals that the brand was hoping to convey. To Americans, relationships are the center of our world, especially when it comes to family. While the advertisement did not depict any family members in it, the man and his dog shared a bond so close symbolizing that of traditional American families. Both the “Friends are waiting” and the “Puppy Love” advertisements depict true friendship in somewhat unconventional ways. While “Friends are waiting” demonstrates a common bond between an owner and his pet, there is a sense of irony between the fun-loving relationship being showcased for such an intense message. “Puppy Love” also sends a powerful message to its viewers, but once again the friendship is one that is especially abnormal in the advertisement, which is between the horse and the puppy. While the “Puppy Love” and “Friends are waiting” advertisements do tell two incredible stories demonstrating friendship in their messages, they are also very different. Perhaps the greatest contrast between the “Puppy Love” and “Friends are waiting” advertisements are the way the messages are being sent. While both advertisements do convey powerful messages, “Puppy Love” is not explicitly stating the purpose of the advertisement while “Friends are waiting” does. It is from these two advertisements the audience is truly exposed to the remarkable marketing strategy that Budweiser has for their brand. While “Friends are waiting” is entirely obvious that it is a public service announcement to gain awareness for the severity of drinking and driving, “Puppy Love” is not as overt. Though “Puppy Love” was created to be an adorable advertisement for the Superbowl, its true meaning is so much more.
Suri 17 Much like “Friends are waiting,” not only is the “Puppy Love” advertisement powerful, it is inspiring. Though “Puppy Love” does not have copy on the digital ad to explain its message, after analyzing the advertisement carefully, it is clear that it is one of the most relatable messages. The advertisement embodies the idea of the “American dream” and the common struggle that many people face in order to reach their ultimate goal. The emotional appeal as portrayed in both of the advertisements explains why brands such as Budweiser maintain loyalty. In Consumers’ true brand loyalty: the central role of commitment, Amine (1998), explains this emotional attachment through his term affective commitment. Amine goes on to say that “This affective bond to the brand expresses consumers brand liking or attachment which is defined as ‘an emotional feeling that a consumer develops towards a specific brand which expresses their psychological closeness to that brand. It consists in a holistic or aggregate judgment of the brand independently from its functional and instrumental attributes’. This affective bond to the brand is supposed to be independent from a specific purchasing situation and may explain the affective brand commitment type” (Amine, 1998, pg. 313). Overall, the two Budweiser advertisements, “Puppy Love” and “Friends are waiting” both portray powerful messages through their depiction of friendship between a man and his dog, a universal story throughout time. Taken together under the “All-American” theme, they create an unparalleled emotional connection that many marketers strive to achieve through their messaging, but find hard to pull off—in most ads, it’s simply not believable and feels too forced. Yet, Budweiser succeeds and is able to create a truly positive brand perception through these two distinct ads. While the messages may be different, they are equally powerful in both their
Suri 18 depiction and meaning. The only question that remains, then, is just how effective these ads are at what they set out to do. The short answer to the question of whether Budwesier’s aforementioned ads were a success is yes. Both “Puppy Love” and “Friends are waiting” were extremely successful in their marketing campaigns, as they elicited only positive responses from their consumers. They were able to craft a story that entertained, inspired, tugged at the heartstrings, and still (subtly) gave a slight nod to the product. People watched the ads because they hit at true human emotions: the need for connection, companionship, camaraderie. Rather than simply talking about the light side of “grabbing a Bud” with your buddies, the brand took on much more nostalgic, emotive topics. This was definitely a risk for a brand that typically focuses on football-watching, wing-eating, beer-chugging men, but it was one that unquestionably paid off. To provide some additional context, “Friends are waiting” was an advertisement created by Budweiser with the aid of the “Momentum Worldwide” consulting firm in light of Budweiser’s “Global Be(er) Responsible Day” for drinking and driving (Schultz, 2014, p.1). This particular YouTube sensation is a different approach by Budweiser because rather than being made into an actual advertisement, the brand wanted to tackle a large issue among youth today that is drinking and driving. Rather than try to promote the brand itself, the advertisement highlighted the importance of the issue with their powerful message “for some, the waiting never ended.” There are nearly 12,000 people who die every year in DUI-related accidents and 900,000 people are arrested each year for DUI/DWI according to DrinkingandDriving.org. Princeton Partners Online felt so moved by the message of the advertisement they went on to say, “ This commercial changes the game of beer advertisements to produce a message that resonates with
Suri 19 the audience and inspires real change. The notion of being the person your dog thinks you are is enough of a reason to never drink and drive.” Much like the success of “Friends are Waiting,” Budweiser’s “Puppy Love” also generated millions of shares with its heartwarming portrayal of a best friendship between a puppy and a Clydesdale horse. Through the advertisement, the brand was able to successfully generate over 1.3 million shares, and according to Marketingland, “In the US, “Puppy Love” appeared on national television channels 75 times prior to the game and on local broadcasts 1,200 times which is nearly four times the next most popular ad, Volkswagen’s “Wing’s” commercial” (Gesenhues, 2014, p.1). The success of “Puppy Love” was so imminent that the Budweiser ad not only received millions of shares, the company also won three of the top ten most shared ads this year. The “Puppy Love” advertisement made it to the ranking of being the sixth most shared Super Bowl advertisement of all time. Additionally, the brand as a whole had made its way to the most shared Super Bowl brand of all time surpassing its popular competitors including Volkswagen. Taking a step back, Budweiser’s success in creating such a strong, positive emotional response on the part of their audience is no easy feat. After all, it could be argued that Budweiser is in fact a negative brand: it stands for (cheap) beer, debauchery and a little bit of recklessness. Yet, by embracing the brand’s All-American roots and universal appeal (much like the golden retrievers in their ads), they are able to convince consumers that they are a wholesome brand with great values. In fact, is because of Budweiser’s incredible use of pathos within their advertisements that they have been able to create and secure strong brand loyalty on the part of their consumer base. It’s hard to create, hard to convince, and harder to maintain, but Budweiser is clearly up for the challenge. It’s safe to say Budwesier has surpassed the competition,
Suri 20 embracing its All-American imagery to lift itself out of the constraints of the stereotypical beer category and into the ranks of advertising greats like Nike, Coke, Apple, and others. Thinking about what these brands have in common, they have become a brand that has carved out a place in American culture: no easy feat, when you think about some of the incredible brands competing for consumer attention each and every day. Above all else, the messaging of these brands transcends their products: Nike is more about the journey than the shoe, Coke is more about the world than the soda, and Apple is more about the connection than the technology. These brands choose to focus on the intangible benefits that make us human—they are what make their brands special, recognizable, even iconic. Though Budweiser might have years to go before it truly joins this elite group of brand masters, the reception of both “Puppy Love” and “Friends Are Waiting” prove that they are well on their way. I, for one, cannot wait to see how they build upon their impressive momentum. The world is waiting.
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