Bud Defends Suds In Super Bowl Commercial

During the Super Bowl on Sunday night Anheuser-Busch InBev (AB InBev) ran a commercial that did not involve puppies, horses or wolves. Instead the ad, titled “Brewed the Hard Way” relied on text superimposed on top of brewing scenes, friends out at the bar knocking back Buds, and other random beer shots. It focused on its history, and its beechwood aging process dating back to the 1800s.

Then it took a turn.

Saying that “it’s brewed for drinking. Not dissecting. The people who like our beer are people who like to drink beer brewed the hard way. Let them sip their pumpkin peach ale. We’ll be brewing us some golden suds.”

“Them” seemingly referred to a customer base that has seemingly shunned larger breweries in recent years.

What was interesting about the ad to many viewers is that AB InBev in January acquired Seattle’s Elysian Brewing Co., which is known for it’s many pumpkin ales, and even brewed one with peach.

All About Beer reached out to AB InBev for comment, and received an emailed statement this evening on behalf of the brewing company via Jen Crichton, a vice president at Weber Shandwick, a public relations firm that represents the brewery.

“The rise of craft has created a national conversation about beer, big and small. With ‘Brewed the Hard Way,’ we are reminding the world Budweiser deserves a role in that conversation. We’re celebrating Budweiser and its storied role in beer culture. We’re a big brewer and we’re proud of that. We brew quality beer for people who like to drink beer. IPAs and stouts have their role. And classic, American-style lager has its role. And we happen to brew the best full-flavored lager around.”

Budweiser VP Brian Perkins told AdvertisingAge that “occasionally we do have a little bit of fun with some of the overwrought pretentiousness that exists in some small corners of the beer landscape that is around beer snobbery. That is the antithesis of what Budweiser is all about.”