AB Super Bowl Ad

[GilaMinumBeer]

... because I hate Bud and am enjoying watching them resort to these tactics,...

Based on this alone I expect it doesn't matter what they do.

But why?

What is so offensive about this product. Surely you aren't so naive as to think they are the only company with this sort of business tactics. Do you have this much hate for those companies too?

 

[Paps]

If those other companies tried to squash the spread of craft beer then i'm pretty sure he/she would.

 

[kombat]

They're not trying to "squash the spread of craft beer," they're trying to increase profits. Like all businesses. And that's not evil, that's essential to a healthy capitalist economy.

That's what I don't get. These Bud-haters seem to think that there's some bald-headed MacroBeer Mastermind in the penthouse of an office tower somewhere, sitting in a giant chair, stroking a white Persian cat and screaming at his underlings to "CRUSH THIS VILE CRAFT BEER UPRISING!"

No. It's just a bunch of MBAs in suits stressing about how to keep profits up so they don't have to cut their dividend and explain themselves at the next shareholder meeting. They're a business, just like any other business, with the possible exception of being unusually successful. They're people, like you and me, with families and hobbies. They don't lay awake at night brainstorming ways to "squash the spread of craft beer," they're thinking about their daughter's soccer tournament, or what snacks they should put out at their Superbowl party. Do you think the folks working the Budweiser bottling line are obsessed with "squashing the spread of craft beer?" How about the guy/gal driving the truck that delivers the barley? The administrative assistant of the guy/gal in charge of managing distribution in the Northeast? Are they all evil? Are they all to be scorned? Paint them all with the same brush, do you?

Gimmie a break. AB-InBev isn't doing anything that Chrysler, Coke, McDonalds, Johnson & Johnson, Captain Morgan, Apple or Twitter aren't doing. Don't be naïve.

 

[losMythos]

Don't be Naive....That's exactly what they are doing..

 

[kombat]

Don't be Naive....That's exactly what they are doing..[i.e, dreaming of squashing craft beer]

*Sigh*

OK, why don't you tell me why you think that is? Why do you think they hate craft beer?

They don't care about craft beer. Or immigration or elections or image or anything other than money. If they can figure out how to make money off of craft beer, they'll be all about craft beer.

 

[unionrdr]

It's all about their maintaining market share at this point. Hence the " style" of the ads.

 

[mattdee1]

What is so offensive about this product. Surely you aren't so naive as to think they are the only company with this sort of business tactics. Do you have this much hate for those companies too?

Gimmie a break. AB-InBev isn't doing anything that Chrysler, Coke, McDonalds, Johnson & Johnson, Captain Morgan, Apple or Twitter aren't doing. Don't be naïve.

But Chrysler and Coke don't have the muscle to negatively influence my ability to access competing products. Not only that, but I just don't care about those industries on a personal level.

Providing a critical (even mocking) commentary on the tactics of a company that deals in a market that is of strong personal interest does not somehow make one too "naive" to understand the rudimentary concept of big companies advertising to make money.

I get that. Everybody gets that.

Just because they have "the right" to advertise, and "the right" to make money, and their employees are humans, and all that other irrelevant stuff you mentioned... doesn't mean that everybody has to like what they do and how they operate, even if it is within the rules.

Just as I wouldn't go to the www.capitalism4eva.org forums and complain about a big corporation's strong-arm tactics (oh, the sacrilege!), you shouldn't expect fanfare for swill purveyors like AB Inbev on a forum filled to the brim with people that have discerning taste in beer.

 

[ArkotRamathorn]

Maybe remove the discussion of business and replace it with discussion of an attack on our hobby and something we are passionate about.

They're perfectly within their rights as a company advertise and advertise however they choose.

People are up in arms about these sort of ads because they are attacking something we are very passionate about. First they are attacking craft beer in general and trying to make it sound like we are less manly for drinking craft beer (when our own observations definitely suggest craft beer is not wimpy in any form), so they start by making us (craft beer enthusiasts) sound like pansies. Second, and by extension, they take a swing at homebrewers, either directly or indirectly calling homebrewers pansies as well.

All while buying up craft breweries and selling those brands, and marketing faux-craft beer brands at the same time.

So yes, they're doing what any other business does..... I don't remember the last time McDonald's called me a *insert random sexist insult* for eating at Burger King.

Edit: I only use the term "manly" above because the commercial is in a way attacking our masculinity. If you remove the sexism its still attacking something we are passionate about.

 

[GHBWNY]

I never knew what "Beechwood Aging" meant, so I looked it up on AB's website:

"During lagering, the beer is krausened, naturally carbonated and aged on beechwood chips for 21 days to mature the flavor of the beer. ..."

I always took that to mean the beechwood chips were there for flavor. But my homebrewing experience has taught me that while the flavor matures (like any beer fermenting for 21 days), there is no flavor derived from the beechwood chips themselves. Because beechwood is a cheap, non-toxic (can be sanitized), and flavorless type of aggregate, it is tossed into the beer to give the yeast many thousands of different 'landing places' so that it doesn't end up as one thick sedimentary sludge at the bottom of a huge fermentation vat. Giving the yeast more exposure to the beer effects a quicker and more efficient fermentation, and THAT is what gives the beer its flavor --- not the beechwood itself.

 

[kombat]

But Chrysler and Coke don't have the muscle to negatively influence my ability to access competing products.

You mean like lobbying congress to impose tariffs on vehicles made overseas and imported into the US and artificially driving up their cost, making the domestic alternatives look more attractive?

 

[mattdee1]

You mean like lobbying congress to impose tariffs on vehicles made overseas and imported into the US and artificially driving up their cost, making the domestic alternatives look more attractive?

I was talking about "access to competing products." You suggested that ire directed at AB should also be directed at other corporations, but... why?

The fact is, there has never been an instance where I have wanted to buy a certain model of import car but couldn't due to the business practices of Fiat Chrysler. So, I don't feel compelled to ***** specifically about Fiat Chrysler.

The Chrysler comparison contains no parallel to, for example, AB having its grubby meat-hooks in the distribution tier and all of the "technically not anti-competitive" monkey-business associated with that.

 

[losMythos]

*Sigh*

OK, why don't you tell me why you think that is? Why do you think they hate craft beer?

They don't care about craft beer. Or immigration or elections or image or anything other than money. If they can figure out how to make money off of craft beer, they'll be all about craft beer.

I guess you feel not one person has stopped buying AB because of Craft Beer....maybe I'm not seeing the argument Here. Do you think they would rather try to impersonate a Craft brewery "shock top" or do you think they would rather make craft beer seem "lame" and pull people back to AB?...It isn't easy in this day in age to "pretend" your something..People aren't stupid..I do agree its all about money but yes I do believe they spend many days and nights trying pull people back to macro Brews....which in result would hurt "squash" the craft industry...But i do believe they are failing. AB is the establishment Brewery.....and craft Beer is Bernie Sanders. Times they are a Changing.

 

[Paps]

They're not trying to "squash the spread of craft beer," they're trying to increase profits.

They are trying to increase profits by "squashing" the spread of craft beer to manipulate the market to a monopoly. If you can't see that, then you are blind.

They are within their rights to `say` whatever they want (freedom of speech)
and that's fine but here is the thing........there can be repercussions. For example, Chik-fa-lay said something to the effect of `we hate gays`.....people whom also hate gays flocked to their business whilst people whom were gay or were gay rights supporters boycotted the business. All of those groups are within their rights. In this case scenario, you are one of the gay haters screaming " Hey you gays, you shouldn't boycott ChickFL just because they hate you, they aren't breaking any rules." So when AB/INBev insults craft beer drinkers and homebrewers don't get suprised when those craft beer drinkers/homebrewers call AB/InBev a peice of ****.....as `they` aren't breaking any rules either. Sure Bud can advertise how they want but there will be a reaction from the free market. Nobody is beyond the karma of their actions. But sinse you hold stock in that company, go right back to waving that Bud flag that's sticking out of your keester. Also know that not one penny of dividend cash have you received from me last year nor will you be getting any of them from me this year either. The free market has spoken.

 

[kombat]

You win, I'm selling all my Bud stock and moving it to Chik-Fil-A.

 

[Rev2010]

You win, I'm selling all my Bud stock and moving it to Chik-Fil-A.

Too funny You literally had me laughing out loud on the bus with that post.


Rev.

 

[brewcat]

Reported.

Too funny. I offended some sensibilities. ipe:

 

[Paps]

You win, I'm selling all my Bud stock and moving it to Chik-Fil-A.

That made me lol......but my point still stands.

 

[Kent88]

Hope y'all have some pumpkin peach ale to enjoy tomorrow!