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Promotion in Disguise?

11/3/2019

35 Comments

 
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by David Hagenbuch, founder of Mindful Marketing & author of Honorable Influence

Halloween was here and gone, but its effects live on.  For kids, that may mean ongoing sugar rushes from a huge candy haul.  For adults, it could be as serious as a DUI arrest after too much partying.  However, one company you probably wouldn’t expect, stepped in to deter Halloween-related drunkenness.
 
It may come as a shock that the “King of Beers” created a unique Halloween-themed advertising campaign to discourage drinking.  Budweiser, flagship brand of the iconic American beer company Anheuser-Busch, which is now a subsidiary of Belgium-based ABInBev, used the marketing firm David-Miami to develop some edgy Halloween-inspired ads to decrease drinking.
 
Budweiser’s promotion featured photos of several real people wearing Halloween costumes and funny looks on their faces.  While there’s nothing unusual about pictures like that, especially around Halloween, what made these shots different was that they were mugshots.  One of the photos, for instance, had a woman in a cat costume with black and white face-paint.  Below her was the caption “Don’t let Halloween haunt you forever,” the Budweiser logo, and the tagline “Drink Wiser.”
 
In many ways, what Budweiser did was great.  While alcohol is an important part of many people’s lives when socializing and celebrating, it’s also an addictive substance that when used in excess can wreak havoc on those using it and those who cross paths with them (e.g., physical and verbal abuse, drunk driving).  Some call alcohol a drug and describe its use in the U.S. as an epidemic.
 
Still, it’s reasonable to ask the question:  Does a company whose livelihood depends on beer sales really want people to drink less?  There just aren’t many examples of organizations trying to decrease demand for their own products.  The only two I can think of off-the-top are power companies asking residents to use less electricity during peak consumption times and casinos providing 800 numbers for those with gambling problems.  I’m not sure the second example even qualifies.
 
Budweiser does, however, have a history of prodding people to ‘drink responsibly.’ Over 100 years ago, the company used the tagline “Budweiser Means Moderation,” and about 35 years ago the firm’s ads challenged consumers to “Know When to Say When.”  The current “Drink Wiser” campaign, which kicked-off last year, urges customers to “hydrate between Buds.”  Also, beers bought in certain locations between October 21 and November 1 on Drizly entitled drinkers to a $5 Lyft gift card “for a safe ride home.”
 
So, Budweiser has taken some steps to mitigate overindulgence, but do these measures really make a difference?  In a 2008 study, Atkin, McCardle, and Newell found that consumers tended to perceive alcohol moderation advertisements as ambiguous and self-serving.  Jones, Hall, and Kypril’s 2017 research produced similar findings:  Consumers had difficulty interpreting many of the alcohol industry’s moderation messages.
 
The results of these studies and similar ones don’t bode well for alcohol moderation messages overall, but perhaps Budweiser’s “Drink Wiser” Halloween photo campaign was an exception.  In lieu of research specific to the campaign, it may be helpful to dissect the ads and predict consumers’ likely response.  So, here’s this marketer’s assessment of the campaign using communication's well-known AIDA model (attention, interest, desire, action):


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  • The ads’ colorful and unusual photos of costumed people, probably grabbed viewers’ attention.
  • The curious-looking pictures likely also kept viewers’ interest, as they wondered why the bizarre subjects were posing for the camera and what they had to do with Budweiser, whose large logo was prominently displayed with the ad copy, i.e., more than just a small tag at the bottom.
  • The use of a humor appeal probably impacted viewer’s interpretations of the ads and ultimately their desire to accept the ads’ supposed call for drinking in moderation.  The funny looking photos likely acted as “dissonant visuals,” serving to counteract the ads’ serious message.  One might even say the comical pics made light of drunk driving. 
  • What’s more, with the tagline “Drink Wiser” appearing just inches below the large Budweiser logo, it’s conceivable that consumers interpreted the ads’ call-to-action not to ‘drink smarter’ but simply to ‘drink Budweiser.’  In other words, people may have seen “Wiser” simply as an abbreviation for Budweiser, in the same way Pizza Hut is sometimes call “the Hut.”
 
So, were Budweiser’s Halloween-themed mugshot ads effective in deterring irresponsible drinking?  I don’t know, but to the Gen Ys and Gen Zs to whom to the campaign most likely appealed, the ads probably just seemed like another application of the irreverent humor brands often try to use to attract young consumers to their products.  In other words, the supposed deterrent actually may have acted more as a purchase stimulant.
 

It’s hard to judge motives—Did Budweiser really want to keep people from irresponsible alcohol consumption, or was it secretly banking on higher Halloween-holiday beer sales?  We don’t know, but analysis of the ads makes it seem improbable that people were inspired to “drink wiser” as much as they were reminded to ‘drink Budweiser.’  As a result, the company’s likely misinterpreted mugshots are a snapshot of “Single-Minded Marketing.”


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35 Comments
Tyler
11/3/2019 09:26:14 pm

I thought this post was great. Alcoholism is a serious issue than many people don't even realize they have. Alcohol in general is not a problem, but how people use it is.

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Tyler Piston
11/4/2019 03:06:32 pm

When it comes to beer sales, companies want their consumers to buy as much beer as they can. I think it is funny when beer companies tell their consumers to drink less, because in reality they don't want. I believe the mugshots by Budweiser was single minded marketing. I believe that Budweiser was trying to do good. They wanted to decrease beer drinking, but get their company more recognition. They see a problem and they are trying to fix it.

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Bella Starlin
11/5/2019 12:45:20 pm

I think Budweiser's campaign for people to "drink wiser" achieves two important things. First, it creates an image of a socially responsible company that cares about its customers, and it cares enough to give up profit for the sake of its customers' wellbeing. A positive brand image that ads like this create can go a long way. Because now customers will associate the brand with responsible drinking, and even though they may not actually drink responsibly, they'd look to Budweiser as a friendly product that is good for their wellbeing. Secondly, the ad's catchy slogan will stick to people's minds, and this further increases brand loyalty.

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Dani Vallejo
11/5/2019 01:12:31 pm

Budweiser's new advertisement and tagline is a great way of reminding consumers to drink responsibly. While it may not necessarily deter all consumers from binging on alcohol, it certainly sends a message to the market that Budweiser does not make their product for people to get belligerently drunk. This is good for those shopping for a responsible company.

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Christos Stefanos
11/5/2019 01:59:05 pm

The idea of mugshots in costumes was a great way for the beer companies to show that although they encourage drinking their product, they want their customers to do it responsibly. It also was a way to show the beer company's moral values in valuing the customers health and safety. I believe this action was very mindful. The introduction paragraph really brought in my attention, it flows greatly with the rest of the blog.

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Mark Stanford
11/5/2019 02:08:18 pm

The ads by Budweiser I believe were a great idea. I think these were successful ads because it makes the company seem like they are trying to be responsible and make sure people do not over indulge on their product. It makes Budweiser seem like they care about the larger issue which is peoples safety and reducing drunk driving, rather than focus solely on their profit and sales.

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Joshua Lawrence
11/5/2019 04:46:42 pm

I think this ad conveys a good message, but I also can't help but question the motive. It seems like they could be using the ad simply for marketing purposes. They may be using this ad to gain attention and the respect of potential and current customers. However, this ad is commendable because it addresses a nasty problem in society.

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Gabrielle link
11/5/2019 05:24:11 pm

When reading through the post, I feel like Budweiser was in the right mindset when making these promotions. Just because they make beer and drinking is popular on Halloween, does not mean we can make the assumption that they want people to get drunk and drive. I don't believe that is the motive at all. In the blog post, it explains how Bud has tried to promote drinking safely and responsibly. I think the ads were doing just that.

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Samuel Kwon
11/5/2019 07:47:00 pm

I like how Budweiser has taken with the news and the mugshots. They spread the message of being responsible with drinking and taking these news seriously. There are a lot of cases with drunk driving and deaths that have been caused by drunk drivers. This also gives off a message that Budweiser actually cares about their consumers. While other companies may stay quiet and mind their own business, Budweiser has taken the extra step and called out irresponsible people, despite the possibility of the company losing sales.

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Zach Hall link
11/5/2019 08:36:14 pm

I think Budweiser's new advertisement was very appropriate. I respect that they are encouraging people to drink wiser. Many beer companies encourage people to keep drinking more beer, while Budweiser wants to make sure their consumers are drinking responsibly. In a way, they are being more considerate of their consumers, and they are not promoting alcoholism to any degree.

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Michael Sossy link
11/5/2019 08:38:56 pm

Drinking is a concern that a lot of people have for their families and friends. It is easy to lie to oneself on the different reasons as to why one drinks and what can be defined as responsible or not. Budweiser has taken this concern and brought it the people who are on both sides of the spectrum. Those who drink socially and those who are suffering from too much drinking. It spoke to the younger generation through a sense of satire and warning, but in the end it worked to bring the ads and thereby the product to the people.

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Mark Foreman
11/5/2019 09:01:22 pm

I think that Budweiser made a semi-successful attempt at marketing their product well while still at least appearing as though they care about the well-being of their customers and alcohol consumers in general. I know that I have personally seen brands do good things either on TV or in person, and it makes me want to purchase their product more than I would have prior. I think that Budweiser was aiming at this end. Sure, they are passing across some good influence, but more importantly, they end up in people’s minds more positively, rather than those who might be causing drunk driving and other alcohol related problems.

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Joey Jang
11/5/2019 11:31:48 pm

Budweiser may not have succeeded in deterring drunk driving through their ad, but I think it is a little bit of a stretch to assert that Budweiser had malicious intent of hopint to boost their sales through their ad against drunk driving.People will do illegal and dangerous things no matter what laws or warnings may exist, and BUdweiser a leading company in terms of sales in the alcohol industry going out and promoting safe driving even if they use their logo near the warning, is a solid thing to do.

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Katy W
11/5/2019 11:32:42 pm

I have always noticed that Budweiser ends their commercials with the tagline 'drink responsibly' or something to the affect. But I have also felt like it seemed odd to watch a commercial distance themselves from their own product. Given the standard to which this blog holds commercials, in seems impossible for Budweiser and other similar products to achieve mindfulness.

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Gunnar Lopez
11/6/2019 12:48:33 am

I appreciate the stance that Budweiser portrays in this article. While perhaps not an immediate boon to company finances, as the push is to reduce drinking, this is the ethically responsible thing to do. People will recognize that standing up for such an ideal despite the fiscal ramifications will garner intangibles like goodwill that can lead to loyal customer bases.

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Jeffrey David Sarwono
11/6/2019 12:51:49 am

I think that what Budweiser is doing here is good. What the company is doing is while simultaneously putting up an ad to promote their product, it also sends out a good message about not over-drinking alcohol. Like the article says, it is rare that a company is making people buy less of their products but Budweiser recognizes the dangers of over-drinking and I suppose this is one of their ways to help in the social ethical issues. Even though they are an alcohol company, they do not encourage over-drinking. And that is why I think that this ad is mindful.

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Madelyn Davis
11/6/2019 01:11:57 am

Budweiser’s ad campaign to “drink weiser” around Halloween is a tricky one. I can see how they could be showing that they really care about their customers’ safety around Halloween, when much drunk driving occurs, but it is hard to see a commercial as a way to lower the amount of Budweisers bought during that time when the purpose of advertisements is to promote more sales.

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Ian Lam
11/6/2019 01:51:21 am

I do agree that Budweiser's campaign to persuade people to drink responsibly is hard for consumers to relate or understand, because after all Budweiser is selling the same exact products that have caused so many people to have messed up lives due to alcohol addiction. But I do think the Halloween idea is a nice start to try something new.

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Janice
11/6/2019 11:50:41 am

Although this ad might came out and gave the impression as a purchasing stimulant, that Budweiser is only trying to attract gen y and gen z to buy even more beer during Halloween season. I think that their real reason behind the ad is to encourage wise drinking. Why? Because Budweiser has been known to advise consumers to drink responsibly since over 100 years ago. Also why would the company bother to partner with lyft to give customers giftcards along with their purchase of Budweiser during Halloween season.

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Madisyn Steiner
11/6/2019 02:00:43 pm

When I first looked at this ad, I thought, "Oh, that's a clever way to promote responsible drinking!" As I read the post, I could see the perspective being valid. However, I do not find their attempt to promote safe drinking during Halloween as means of gaining sales intentionally. Obviously, advertising is meant to attract sales, but in Budweiser's case, I think it was a misunderstood attempt to do something good.

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Breanne Winic
11/7/2019 01:20:14 am

As I read this blog, I loved how the blog post gave the reader a potential way for people who party on halloween to partake in a safe and responsible way to drink at parties. Personally, think that it really tells something when an alcohol company, tries to promote safe drinking when that could potentially reduce their sales. I especially like how Budweiser always ends their commercials with the tagline 'drink responsibly'. In the end I know that this helps the stingma of a company that sells alchohol and the fact that they have this pick-up line only helps them in the future.

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Jayleanng
11/8/2019 02:17:06 am

I loved that this blog really went deep into understanding the motives behind why BudWiser would want to advertise drinking responsibly to their customers. When I had first seen the ad I myself was very confused for the same reasons mentioned in the post! However, I really enjoyed reading this blog and also learning more about how the AIDA model can be applied to marketing ad's to see how successful an ad campaign can be.

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Kiana Meriales
11/8/2019 02:21:46 am

This blog post was all about the interpretations and messages perceived in a Budweiser advertisement. At first, when I saw the advertisement, I though that the company was trying to promote being safe on Halloween and to be responsible about it. Especially with the line drink wiser. Then reading this post helped me see the side where the beer company is trying to promote their beer sells by this beer being the better, safer option on crazy holiday nights like Halloween. Although the blog discusses how Budweiser can be promoting themselves, I think the main purpose of the advertisement is to be responsible and don't drink and drive. Overall, I think the Budweiser blended the promotion and safety message affectively to advertise their beer and to be safer when celebrating the holidays, which suggests it was a mindful advertisement.

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Kyra Bond
12/5/2019 10:53:13 pm

I think this ad is very unique and helps to create a new kind of slogan for the company. The company has always held incentives in thier ads for people to drink more responsibilty like the blog post mentioned and I feel they are holding onto thier values as they do this. This new campaign that incorporates messages like "Drink Wiser" using the halloween season as a tool was a smart tactic in my opinion. I still believe this even if it did have the possiblity of decreasing the demand on thier own products. Doing this on their part created societal value since it was keeping the safety and well being of the society in mind. Even if people would have difficulty interpreting the message being sent, I still would argue the marketing in mindful instead of simple minded. It is doing what it can in order to bring more attention to drinking more responsibly, which is something it has done for a while as mentioned. It is also creating stakeholder value for them even tho this message could be decreasing thier sales. This is due to the fact that they are getting their name out to consumers as a company who cares for the well-being of their costumers and not just thier money.

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Jess Davis
12/8/2019 03:59:21 pm

I think that this ad is mindful even though some may view it as single-minded. While is it true that Budweiser probably does hope to increase their sales and brand awareness with this ad, it seems like they are genuinely concerned with drinking and driving. Of course they want customers to drink their beer, but they want their customers to be responsible with their consumption. Budweiser displays Social Corporate Responsibility since they are taking an interest in a major societal issue. Since Budweiser, which is a company that sells alcohol, is discouraging drinking, this ad emphasizes the real risks and dangers of drinking and driving. Overall, I think this ad was a great way to attract attention for both their product and the risks associated with drinking while driving.

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Jane Mylin
12/10/2019 10:02:18 am

I believe that this Budweiser ad is mindful. If this beer ad is not considered to be mindful, then I don't know what kind of beer ad could be considered mindful. Budweiser, rather than tagging a short message about the dangers of drinking and driving on the end of the advertisement, made it the primary point of their ad. Personally, I feel that the mug shots are humiliating to the parties involved. Would viewers truly want to find themselves in similar situations? And, even if they do purchase beer, they are likely to remember the advertisement and perhaps be mindful of its message in consumption of the beer.

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April Hooper
12/10/2019 03:24:53 pm

I think this was a really good analysis of the commercial. I think Budweiser was trying to do a good thing and help young people remember to drink responsibly during this time. However, their ad did not achieve what they were hoping. Of course their ad was meant to promote their brand, but they also wanted to remind people to be safe. Unfortunately, because they used the tagline “Drink Wiser” they most likely reminded people to drink more Budweiser. However, we don’t really know the true impact of the ad, so it is possible that is achieved its goal of reducing drinking during the thousands of Halloween parties that took place. There is a chance it is mindful, but because we don’t know its original purpose or how successful it was, I agree that it is most likely single-minded marketing.

I think that it is almost impossible for a beer company to make mindful ads promoting drinking less. No matter how much they talk against it, by showing their logo they are still reminding consumers that Budweiser is the best. Maybe they should leave these kinds of PSAs to other companies and organizations. It was a good thought to reduce irresponsible drinking, but it may have had the opposite effect.

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Jennie Young
12/11/2019 08:42:42 pm

I think this commercial was a great play on Budweisers part. The ad creates this idea that they are trying to protect people from misusing their product in an unhelathy light. While also insinuate that if/when they do drink, they should "Drink Wise". As in drink Budweiser but drink responsibly as well. I think Budweiser is trying to uphold societal values while also planting a seed in the back of your mind to drink Budweiser. This slogan is also unique to them because while many people before them have said to drink responsibly, "drink wise" is not a common phase that will be introduce and correlated with Budweiser as a result.

I think that this ad is mindful. It is as ethical as a beer ad could be as it promotes responsiblity and awareness. While also planting the seed in peoples minds that if they do drink, they should drink Budweiser beer. And therefore creating stakeholder value as well as societal value.

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Dakota Kelso
12/11/2019 11:36:12 pm

"It's the thought that counts" is often used to excuse an action that was well intended, but poorly or inappropriately delivered. Many people seem to think that Budweiser tried its best to mitigate drinking or at least the negative effects of drinking on Halloween. But its efforts was rewarded with increased sales. According to the article, Budweiser has done this type of advertising before with similar results. Also, studies have clearly shown that consumers do not view the advertisements as discouragements to drink but rather an increase in brand promotion. Therefore, I think Budweiser knew exactly what it was doing when promoting its brand in this way. There are some ethical gray areas in this tactic, but call it what it is. The act is not a misguided attempt to decrease alcohol purchase, but a play for brand loyalty and increased purchases.

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Jvaughn Singelton
12/18/2019 10:55:03 pm

Budweiser commercial was good. I think this allows consumer to understand how this product can be misused

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Christina Lee
12/20/2019 10:31:22 am

Personally, I think that this initiative is a very great and socially responsible thing for Budweiser to do. It is creating more awareness among drinkers to be more aware of what they are consuming and why it may be unwise to do the things that they do. An example that I have seen in the past is when cigarette companies cover their boxes with pictures of black lungs or something scary to discourage people from buying their products. Though a little scary, it definitely worked in many countries. Even beyond the psychology behind this initiative, the ad is generally catchy and will give people a particular idea of what this company is like in their heads.

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Caleb Weidner
1/10/2020 06:27:52 pm

In my opinion, I feel as if they are attempting to create a public facade to appeal to the non-drinking crowd as a responsible brand who cares dearly for their customers and their safety. Below the surface, I believe that Budweiser is promoting their brand and drinking, slyly, as the blog suggests. I do not think that a large company like this would take any risks in lowering their sales. They are the definition of a capitalistic company, only caring about sales and not the public. The goofy nature of the ads and the fact that they are still getting their name out there is laughable to perceive that as true caring. If they really cared they would create an ad about safe drinking without their brand name attached to it.

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Matthew Gordner
1/12/2020 05:26:21 pm

I believe that this ad from Budweiser was a very good use of marketing and is actually mindful. Personally, I believe that the tagline "drink wiser" accomplishes two goals with one simple phrase. Explicitly, it means to drink in a smarter way, so basically don't drink excessively. Secondly, they I believe they use the word wiser and not smarter to simultaneously remind people of their brand compared to a different brand. In other words, any beer company can use the phrase drink smart. However, only Budweiser can say "drink wiser" as it reminds consumers of their brand while telling people to be responsible. Being responsible while drinking is ethical and promoting the brand also creates shareholder value.

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Daniel Curry
1/14/2020 11:25:45 am

I believe that the actions Budweiser has done in the past and for this specific campaign have been very intelligent. Although their product is all about the sales of their alcoholic drinks, they create a good image of themselves; by doing so, their brand is favorable and "better" than others because of their messages that they send compared to other similar companies. Although this is true, their intent is to put their name out there and continue to grow in sales, thus making this a somewhat confusing advertisement and marketing strategy.

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Joshua Shupe link
3/22/2020 01:12:42 am

In my opinion, I believe Budwiser is advertising their product in a very intelligent way. Overall, I trust that budweiser is actually looking out for the better of the people... To support this idea, this corporation even reveals the idea of "Drinking in Moderation." Most companies do not reveal this message! I think that they brought in colorful pictures in order to reach a new audience. Obviousely, they are trying to sell more beer but in a responsible way. Moreover, I really like how they incorporate humour and interesting visuals which Budwiser strives not to let their audience misperceive. In the end, I believe Hagenbuch sparks many interesting point but we do not know Budweiser’s exact motives.

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