Unit 10 Project
“Tried and True”
Budweiser’s Marketing Strategies
Endure through the Decades

Jacqueline M. Milohnic

CM 105-17

Budweiser utilizes a broad range of marketing strategies in order to anchor a wide spectrum of consumers who continuously find themselves identifying with the ever changing characteristics of their mascots. “The Budweiser tradition of the total, marketing concept remains a constant. In areas including sports marketing and entertainment, Budweiser reigns supreme.” (Marketing Hall of Fame, NY AMA, 2005). Budweiser has consistently been the top selling beer on the globe for the past 39 years. Budweiser leverages its cleverly written advertisements to entice such audiences as young adults, sports buffs, and the more mature client base. The eight hitched team of powerful Clydesdales have become the national trademark of Anheuser-Busch. “In 1933, August A. Busch, Jr.gave a hitch of Clydesdales to his father in celebration of the resumption of brewing in St. Louis following the repeal of Prohibition. These high- stepping horses make hundreds of public appearances each year in addition to appearing in television commercials and other Budweiser beer advertising.” (Beckius, Your Guide to New England Travel, July 2, 2007). Therefore, the most recognizable and enduring advertising tool possibly ever used dates back to 1933, and to this day brings back memories of a similar time depicted by a horse drawn wagon brimming with Budweiser. Recently, in Super Bowl XLII, Budweiser reintroduced the mass appeal of the Clydesdales to tug at the heart strings of the older generation. “The companies slogan ‘Budweiser – The King of Beer’ to assert it’s dominance and superiority over rivals”.(Katzin, Advertising of America’s Beer Companies and the Duff Corporation, 2002). The speed and agility of these majestic horses demonstrate the power of the company behind it’s slogan. Budweiser targets the sports enthusiast. Anhuser-Busch scored a victory in a year when most advertisers were particularly careful about using off color or crude subject matter, as Janet Jackson’s wardrobe malfunction through the sensors and many family viewers into an uproar the previous year. This ad consisted of a sight gag which takes place inside an airplane, when a skydiver is afraid to jump. In a desperate attempt to lure him out of the plane, a fellow skydiver throws a six pack of Budweiser out the exit door. The fearful jumper remains in the plane but the pilot jumps out. This commercial is an interesting example of a crossover from the sports-minded beer drinker to the supposedly responsible pilot. This advertisement won USA Today’s exclusive admeter consumer ranking of the top Super Bowl ads in 2005. In addition the infamous Louie and Frankie, who evoke a feeling of humor, and a sense of camaraderie through their clever antics and memorable mis- adventures. According to AdBrands.net, a run of enormously effective television commercials featuring talking lizards and TV – obsessed couch potatoes did much to consolidate the brands position between 1995 and 2002, and also boosted the beer’s profile with a wider global audience. These two characters often appear with the ferret, singing, “Take Me Out to the Ball Game”, illustrating their interest in sports. Another well known commercial involved the good natured ribbing between buddies when Louie ridicules the frogs as they practice croaking out their rendition of “Bud – Wei – Ser”. Copywriter Steve Dildarian of Goodby, Silverstein, and Partners told USA Today (December 28,1998), “We are not selling the beer, we do not talk about the product – all the typical rules of advertising are out the window. We are trying to sell the personality of the beer. The lizards are like the typical Budweiser – drinking guys hanging out at a bar talking about life. The 1999 Super Bowl XXXIII, continued the frog hating adventures of Louie and Frank in a series of three ad spots.The frogs Frank and Louie later teamed with a Ferret who communicated in short muffled squeaks. In the words of Hamish Pringle,(Celebrity Sells, 2004), Some estimates suggest that over 100 million people have seen copies of the Budweiser ‘Louie Lizard’ commercials created by DDB Chicago on the internet and several witty home-made versions of Budweiser’s ‘Wassup’ commercials have been created and circulated adding to the campaign. The case history on this campaign won a Silver Award at the 2002 IPA Effectiveness Awards, confirming the potency of an offline/online media mix. Given the power of stars it is likely that high-quality, amusing and engaging commercials featuring them will have great potential for viral distribution adding significantly to the value of the brand campaign. These personifications have proved to be an effective marketing tool when aimed at the younger generation of beer drinkers. Finally, targeting their youthful audience is facilitated with the introduction of Spuds McKenzie. Spuds, held the attention of the young adult population from 1987 – 1989 as the original Party Animal, first seen during the Super Bowl. Spuds was such a marketing phenomenon, that he enticed young people not only to buy the beer but to purchase posters, tee-shirts, and other memorabilia. On a somewhat sobering note, Spuds was such a powerful icon that some groups took offense at his carefree, seemingly irresponsible partying attitude. This “Party Animal” persona seemed to be aimed toward influencing the under aged drinker. As a result Spuds McKenzie’s career ended in 1989 due to the concerns of the Mother’s Against Drunk Driver’s and school officials. Despite his legal difficulties, Spuds is fondly remembered with the phrase, “This Spuds for You”. Each generation tends to identify with its own Budweiser icon, from the traditional Clydesdales and the history that they represent, to the whimsical characters such as Louie and Frankie, the ferret and the frogs. Anhuser-Busch has wisely diversified their advertising style from its inception to the present. By using different characterizations and keeping a close eye on the ever changing concerns of the consumer, the company continues to succeed in achieving its marketing goals. “From production of the first bottle in 1876, Budweiser has stood the test of time unlike any other beer brand in the world. Throughout the years, whatever the era or ad campaign, the consistently crisp, classic taste of Budweiser continues to make it the world’s favorite beer. The King of Beers. And a genuine American classic.” (Marketing Hall of Fame, NYAMA, 2005). To be truthful, Budweiser has no real competition for their status of the “King of Beers” in the United States. At least one third of all beer consumed in America is either Budweiser, Bud Light, or any other variation of a Budweiser product. .

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