AB InBev/Mead awareness

[madscientist451]

Mega beer's advertising hasn't been working, their sales continue to decline.
So I just watched the latest asinine Mead vs Bud Light commercial during the Bears/Lions game, and I'm wondering what they are trying to achieve. Do they think they can steal business from the tiny amount of Mead drinkers? I'll go out on a limb and presume that most Bud drinkers don't even know what Mead is, and have never seen it or tried it. It would be hilarious if their anti-mead campaign results in more people seeking out mead and actually trying it.
It seems like AB could get more mileage if the Bud Light "King" got his brewer to dust off the old recipes for porter and wheat beer and then told his subjects how great the flavor is instead of putting down something people haven't even heard of.
OK rant over, time for some more football. Happy Thanksgiving to all.

 

[Beer Nuts]

He also requests the mead to be 'malty'.

 

[mongoose33]

They're using the Mead guy as a snob who reflects the tagline "for the many, not the few."

You can either be a sheep, i.e, drink Bud Light, or be a beer snob who wants to know if the mead is "Autumnal." Whatever that means. And if you want something "Autumnal,", then you join beer snob guy in the stocks. Your choice.

FWIW: They've nailed the beer snob perfectly, I think.

 

[Novacor]

I'm guessing that AB Inbev now owns quite a few craft brands, so they use "mead" for their commercials while they're still obviously mocking real craft beer.

 

[madscientist451]

The Ad I saw today is a new one where some other nobles at the head table are trying to get the Bud King to try mead. He doesn't even taste it and they end up in the dungeon.

 

[NitrogenWidget]

I just thought they were amusing commercials.

 

[MaxStout]

They've done that before, with commercials poking fun at the perception of craft beer drinkers being "snobs" or "hipsters." Brilliant marketing, really, as craft beer has been eroding BMC's market share for several years now.

 

[Murphys_Law]

I really doubt they are going directly after mead drinker and trying to convert them., at least I never took it that way. Mead, I believe, was probably a popular beverage of choice in the time period they are using for the commercial(s) so it just makes sense from a “theming” standpoint.

I think you’re taking it too literally!

(And while I can stand Bud or Bud Light - it gives me a massive headache, I think the commercials are funny!).

 

[dlettow]

Overall I liked last year's commercials way better. This year's are overall pretty dumb.

 

[NitrogenWidget]

Overall I liked last year's commercials way better. This year's are overall pretty dumb.

I don't have cable and don't watch a lot of sports, is the one where they invite the king to dinner so they can raid his castle from last yr?

On the funny side the local applebee's has bud light drafts for 2$.
The sign said "Dilly dilly" below for about a day.
Now it says "illy illy".

I assume copywright? which is funny because they are selling the product that goes with the catch phrase.

 

[ThirstyPawsHB]

And they can't wbwn use a real mead style name. If I had a dollar everytime anyone asked what is an Autonmble...or wtf..I'd be retired.

 

[RPh_Guy]

Random thoughts incoming...!

I'm sure you're aware, but even besides the ubiquitous BMC, a large portion of the "craft" beer I see on menus & in stores is owned by AB InBev or other large conglomerate. They even own some of the larger online homebrew shops.
Boston Beer Co sports the craft logo and gets a decent showing on menus and shelves (and makes high quality beer in my opinion) but it's obviously a macro (also owns Angry Orchard and Twisted Tea brands).

I rarely see mead sold and the price for something like a fairly bland wildflower traditional mead is way too high in my opinion. Even if I wanted to buy a case of commercial mead it would take some real effort to find it. You think if mead becomes popular they won't start buying up the big meaderies?

Honey producers/bee keepers in the U.S. can't even make a living just by selling honey. To make a living from bees they're basically forced to go to California once a year to help pollinate almonds.
We import huge amounts of cheap foreign questionable honey (which is frequently cut with other sugar not actually pure honey, especially from Asia). Maybe a good mead/braggot/cyser/pyment market could change this, but only if brewers source quality domestic honey.
I don't think I've ever seen a beer brewed with honey that advertised it was brewed with pure domestic honey.

The big boys will continue to grow as long as consumers keep buying their products.
Consumers do have a say in the market. Use your buying power wisely.

Almost all food produced is from a only a few corporations.
Retail is dominated by a limited number of chains.
93% of corn and soy grown in the US is controlled by one company.
With most people just wanting to pay lower prices regardless of product quality I suspect the same will continue with the beer industry.

What effect does this consolidation have on the market and product quality?
Should we steer others away from buying from these large corporations?
Are you applying this same rationale to other products you buy? -- Do you not shop at big box stores -- Wal-Mart, Amazon, chain supermarkets, chain restaurants, chain drug stores, shopping malls? Only buy produce from local farmers markets? Only buy clothing, furniture, vehicles (lol), housing, etc. from small independent domestic manufacturers? Do you not buy or use Microsoft products? Sony? Disney?

I guess if there's a point to what I'm saying, it's this: If you dislike a particular corporation, don't buy from any brand they own, tell us why it's bad, and convince us to do the same. Otherwise it's just all for fun.
Cheers!