Budweiser: Knowing When to Say When

Budweiser: Knowing When to Say When

Drinking and driving are one of the nation’s most common violent crimes committed (“Drunk Driving Prevention”). This crime affects drivers, passengers, innocent bystanders and all of their families. Anheuser-Busch, the producer of Budweiser and other popular beer, is opposed to drunk driving and is taking many measures to prevent any injuries or fatalities that can go along with it (“Drunk Driving Prevention”). As a part of their effort to prevent these incidents, they dedicated a section of their website to alcohol responsibility. One of their most popular initiatives is implementing numerous Budweiser designated driver programs across the country in order to promote the use of designated drivers at bars and other gatherings (“Drunk Driving Prevention”). Their many advertisements are the pathway into a customer’s mind and the company’s use of ethos and pathos in them persuade viewers to make the responsible choice to not drive under the influence.

Budweiser uses ethos as a way to persuade viewers into buying their beer. When viewing their commercials, you often come across influential figures in the media sending a message to the viewers. On the Anheuser-Busch website itself you see a very prominent message from NASCAR driver Kevin Harvick. His message to the audience is, “Before you start your engines, always designate a driver” (Budweiser). Ethos is present in this ad because the main character is appealing to the audience, whether it is a woman who sees him as a good influence to her family or a man who consistently watches NASCAR every Sunday, in either case everyone can relate to him. In the most recent commercial, aired during Super Bowl L of 2016, British actress Helen Mirren is shown sitting at a restaurant table with a bottle of Budweiser beer. She explains that, “We are absolutely dumbfounded that people still drive drunk.” and continues on to tell viewers that if you make that decision you are so dumb your brain would be returned to you if it was donated to science (Super Bowl Commercial Ads). In this advertisement Budweiser teams up with Hellen to start a movement against driving under the influence that is unique to their company. In the concluding seconds, Hellen calls on drivers to, “Give a damn” and protect their lives and also the lives of others (Super Bowl Commercial Ads). Her credibility as a famous actress is used in this ad to grab viewers’ attention when she introduces herself as a “notoriously frank and uncensored British lady”. This statement is used to grab the audience’s attention and get them to pay close attention to the harsh explanation of drinking and driving that the actress is about to make (Super Bowl Commercial Ads). After viewing both advertisement in their entirety, it is clear that while Budweiser promotes the consumption of their alcoholic beverages they, unlike most others, ultimately care about the safety of customers.

In many advertisements, Budweiser focuses strongly on a viewer’s emotions. According to Jib Fowles, “By giving form to people’s deep-lying desires and picturing states of being that individuals privately yearns for, advertisers have the best chance of arresting attention and affecting communication” (Fowles). In his essay, Fowles argues that the main goal of advertising is to make an impact on the viewers in order to gain their attention when they give information about their product (Fowles). Anheuser-Busch grabs viewers’ attention with the statement, “Make it a plan to make it home. Your friends are counting on you” (Huang). Out of context, this statement may seem cliché, but a 2015 Budweiser commercial makes it seem like an original straight from Anheuser-Busch and it keeps your attention long enough for them to tell you what their product is. The commercial tells a tale of a young man and his dog. After witnessing

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