Is this Bud for us? Budweiser Slams Craft Beer in Hail Mary Super Bowl Ad
Budweiser was doing just fine with its horse and dog commercials for the past year, but out of nowhere decided to stir up some major controversy in the craft beer world during last night’s Super Bowl. Its “Brewed the Hard Way” ad depicted a proud American brand that stood by its “macro” approach to mass-producing beer.
In the aftermath of Budweiser's third quarter Hail Mary, craft beer enthusiasts and Bud drinkers have been butting heads like never before--this all happening as craft beer sales have officially surpassed those of "big beer" in several American cities.
See it for yourself here:
“It’s Brewed for Drinking Not Dissecting”
What’s interesting is the ad went out of its way to separate Budweiser drinkers from craft beer drinkers, as if the bustling craft beer scene was some fad created by the mutton-chop and mustache wielding micro-brew-loving hipsters shown over the course of the minute spot. If that was true, we’d like to hear InBev (the company that owns Anheuser-Busch) explain its acquisition of Goose Island, 10 Barrel Brewing, and Elysian.
Speaking of Elysian, another thing to point out is the part that said, “Let Them Sip Their Pumpkin Peach Ale.” Barlow Brewing said made a great observation that's been retweeted more than 500 times now:Budweiser is making fun of pumpkin peach beer. You know who made a pumpkin peach amber? Elysian, the craft brewery AB just bought. — BarlowBrewing (@BarlowBrewing) February 2, 2015
By that logic, InBev is (doing quite a pitiful job at) making fun of people who enjoy beer brewed by companies it owns. The whole thing just doesn't make sense. During the Super Bowl no doubt, we couldn't help but thinking Budweiser was trying to say we should be sticking with old faithful. That all of the stuck-up craft quaffers out there were un-American.
Not according to InBev reps, who were quick to play defense before the big game had even ended. "This is an affirmation of what Budweiser is, not an attack on what it isn't." Budweiser's social media team was in macro-mode as well, doing battle with Bud fans and craft beer lovers alike by replying to hundreds of Facebook posts before the sun had risen…or perhaps they were working directly from Inbev's Belgium headquarters.
What do you think? The commercial has certainly garnered quite a bit of attention by beer lovers of all types, though it remains to be seen whether the resurrected #thisbudsforyou hashtag hits home for those of us who feel that a good beer is worth fussing over, dissecting, and yes--drinking.
As for us, we'll be waiting out the storm while working on a killer recipe for a Pumpkin Peach Ale.
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