Anheuser Busch commercials

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ohiobrewtus

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I'm sure you have all seen the latest round of AB commercials touting what a great beer the "Great American Lager' is.

I saw one last night that just plain ticked me off. They've got that goofy looking dude walking around a bar full of perfect people and he says something like "...dark and cloudy beers hide imperfections, this beer doesn't".

Then he proceeds to babble on about how perfect AB is and how their light american lager is the perfect beer.

AB must be starting to feel some pressure from micros. These commercials are basically saying 'if a beer doesn't look like Bud/Bud Light, then it has flaws, whereas our beer has no flaws'.

Obviously they felt they needed to spend some of their advertising dollars telling people how much other beer sucks instead of creating a new series of commercials revolving around a talking porcupine or some other woodlands creature.

Then there's the craptastic offerings that they're putting out under the Michelob line. My guess is that 80% of AB guzzlers don't know that Michelob is an AB brand. They then go to try something 'different' and they choose the Michelob porter over a solid micro because it's $3 or $4 less for a 6'er. Of course the Michelob beer tastes like crap, so then they go back to guzzling swill.

end rant
 
I give AB credit for consistantly pumping out Light Lager. I do agree that their style is less forgiving than others, but I disagree that dark means forgiving. They've just resorted to Micro/Craft bashing now. How about the Coors commercial with the song about how everything is changing but how the singer is sticking with his good ole swill...
 
Yeah, they suck. What's funny is that they've been buying micro-breweries for a while now. They're basically the Microsoft of the brewing world... except you don't have to reboot their beer every day.
 
Or the Budwieser Select commercials (specificly the radio one's) where they say 1 guy orders a beer for it's quality and depth (or whatever) and another guy orders a beer because it's less filling...but do you know what these two guys have in common? It's the same beer

I hate that crap! Trying to make bud select to be some craft brew contender? WTF? Then they say it's go 0g of Fat!
 
Well, they've spent the last 50 years marketing themselves into a corner, so now they just have to keep on convincing people that that swill is what Beer really IS (just listen to the jingle on their radio spots "This is Budweiser, This is Beer". Honestly, I don't know how those brewers live with themselves.
 
TheJadedDog said:
Honestly, I don't know how those brewers live with themselves.

I guess they're just concerned with getting paid for their PhD's. I agree though, I couldn't do it. There's no creativity and little hands-on work. I'd go insane...
 
Now, as stupid as those commercials are, you gotta take back the "goofy dude" statement. Rob Riggle is a Daily Show contributor and is really funny. He used to be in the armed forces and actually traveled to Iraq to do real reports for TDS, which was a first for the show, which usually does greenscreen stuff (it's a comedy show, so...)
 
Evan! said:
Now, as stupid as those commercials are, you gotta take back the "goofy dude" statement. Rob Riggle is a Daily Show contributor and is really funny. He used to be in the armed forces and actually traveled to Iraq to do real reports for TDS, which was a first for the show, which usually does greenscreen stuff (it's a comedy show, so...)

Funny = goofy, just like corn syrup = a d j u n c t - so what's the problem? :D
 
Like everyone else in the known universe by now, I've seen that commercial. He doesn't say anything false, and I actually thought it was somewhat fair. He's absolutely right that brewing that sort of beer is very difficult for exactly the reasons he described, and the implication that "dark, cloudy beers" are flawed is not something AB thought up. I can't tell you how many times I've advised an aspiring brewer to start with an IPA, hefeweizen, or stout "because it can hide some flaws that a pilsner wouldn't." As much as I despise many of AB's practices, I'm not jumping on the crucifiction bandwagon this time.

I don't know about the rest of that series, though. They're getting a little iffy, and I'm not just saying that to keep lightening from striking me when I go outside.


TL
 
Well, I am going to disagree on a couple of things. First of all, I do agree with you that by saying "dark cloudy beers hide imperfections" he is certainly 'attacking' micro brew. However, that statement is not false IMO. Darker beers are generally easier to hide imperfections in.

Also, I disagree with the rip on the Michelob brand. I have had their beers, and I don't think they are bad. Are they going to win the best Bavarian Wheat Beer gold medal...no. But it is not a bad beer. Neither is their Marzen IMO. I think it is a good thing for the beer drinking community to see a large brewery making things other than the American Light Lager. Sure, there are going to be people who don't like it and go back to Bud, but there will also be a good number of people who say 'wow, this is different and I like it; I wonder what else is out there".

i also disagree with the following comment:

"I guess they're just concerned with getting paid for their PhD's. I agree though, I couldn't do it. There's no creativity and little hands-on work. I'd go insane..."

The Brewers there do take pride in their work and do brew things other than light lager. I recently read an article about a brewmaster reserve created by George Reisch that is a dopplebock that he suggests drinking between 50 and 60 degrees.

Anyhow, i am not here to defend AB or any other light American lager maker, but I think it gets a bad rap here. Do I like the light American lager? No, not really. I prefer more body and a deeper flavor. That doesn't take away from the style though. Just because I don't like it, doesn't mean that it is swill. As a matter of fact the folks at AB are very precise and will (and do) dump entire batches if something doesn't meet their standards..which are very high.
 
I went to the Bud site and got a free email. They have some sort of cold filtering agent in their username request box.

Here are the rejects:
ollllloSezBudIsSwill
ollllloHatesBud
ollllloWillNeverDrinkBud

For the next couple of hours or until I get bored, you can reach me at:
[email protected]
 
I think the thing to keep in mind is that in reality, they are fighting for customers with in their niche....they are looking to sway other macro swill drinkers to pick their fizzy yellow over their normal fizzy yellow with the perception of higher/craft quality.
 
I personally do not take offense by the commercials. It means to me the beer i like is scareing the hell out of the giants. Not a big deal and not matter how much we as ale makers and drinkers or even the full bodied lager makers (marzens and others) do not want to recongnize "swill" as a form of beer, lets face it, he is correct in one of the lines, it is the hardest style of beer to make.

What people like about their beer is that it is predictable. You always know how it will taste whether you are in an airport in mexico or in St. Louis. I liken it to Mc Donalds. If given the chioce i would certainly go to an establishment that uses fresh ingredients and cheeses for a cheese burger, but if i am in a hurry guess what, that Mc Donalds burger is going to taste the same no matter where i eat it.


edit: forgot one thing, the more people like michelob that make beers that are a bit different (their bock, marzen, wheat) the more the american lager crowd will get exsposed to a broader category of beer and who knows, perhaps we will win some converts from it.
 
You gotta hand it to Bud. I crack a can and it tastes exactly like the first one I drank some 40 years ago. I'd like to see you guys be that consistant with crappiness.
AP
 
I think this sort of thing is good for craft brews and I think most craft brewers see it the same way. Not sure why homebrewers get so uptight about it. Some people will try that stuff, realize there can be more flavor in beer and go on to try new things. Also, drinking cheap fizzy beer has its time and place. Most of you don't only eat the finest, most expensive flavorful foods every meal why get so uppity about what beer people drink? Bud also does great things for craft beer. For example they just bought part of Star Hill in Charlottesville, VA. Star Hill will maintain beer design and operations but now have the benefit of a national distributor...that's good.
 
Brett0424 said:
For example they just bought part of Star Hill in Charlottesville, VA. Star Hill will maintain beer design and operations but now have the benefit of a national distributor...that's good.

They're buying up a lot of small breweries... not so sure that's good. They also bought Old Dominion (or so I heard).
 
I think the Michelob line of "craft beers" is as much about shelf space as anything. A supermarket only has x amount space in their beer isle. A/B, has the clout to assure this space goes to their brands, regardless of the quality. Joe Micro gets shutout.

As a side note, I just spent the Holidays in St. Louis. It is near impossible to find a bar that offers Sam Adams. Thank God for Shlafly.
 
I saw these ads over and over during the bowl games, but last night was the first time I paid attention to the Michelob ad - which looks a lot like a Sam Adams ad, IMO. In that ad I saw them mention a Michelob Porter and thought, "Where do they sell those?!" Never seen it, never knew about it until now. I'd try it just for the hell of it!
 
Nate said:
They're buying up a lot of small breweries... not so sure that's good. They also bought Old Dominion (or so I heard).

They are either buying them completely or getting a large share of them. They are just hedging their bets, that's what I would do to.

Red Hook for example is partly owned by AB, that's also a reason why it is so widely available since they can use AB's delivery infrastructure.

Kai
 
I see those adds as a defensive move to assure beer drinkers that they pay special care to ensure a quality, consistent product. Truth be told-Bud is what it is, and is the same wherever you get it. Just the fact that they focus on the product itself, and not mascots or half-naked girls says to me that they realize that beer drinkers are becoming more and more discerning-this is a good thing!

I did think it was funny that when he mentioned the 'dark cloudy beers', another guy walks through the shot with a bucket of hops...maybe an indirect slam on the IPA explosion?
 
I had the 2006 Brewmaster Reserve, it was good. And weighed in at like 9%. I don't mind amberbock, though it's funny, most bars sell it as an "import". The michelobe sampler pack has the porter, also not too bad. you just have to keep in mind, its pretty cheap for what you're getting. I spend $30 for MB or $20 for BMC, yeah the micros better, but $20...
 
Rhoobarb said:
I saw these ads over and over during the bowl games, but last night was the first time I paid attention to the Michelob ad - which looks a lot like a Sam Adams ad, IMO. In that ad I saw them mention a Michelob Porter and thought, "Where do they sell those?!" Never seen it, never knew about it until now. I'd try it just for the hell of it!

The porter is not very good at all. It's not horrible, but it's not a very good repsentation of the style, IMO. I have not had any of the other Michelob craptastic beers.

As to AB's statement that dark cloudy beers hide imperfections - I'll agree that to some extent those beers are a bit more forgiving. I'll also agree that a light American Lager is a tough brew to get right, but neither of those were my point.

AB saying that dark and cloudy beers hide imperfections may be a factual statement, but it's in the commercial for the sole purpose of bashing any and all cloudy or dark beers.

It would be like Stone coming out with a national commercial that says "American Lagers are fizzy, yellow beers that have only slightly more taste than water, are rediculously cheap to make and are very low in quality compared to the dozens of other beer styles that are available. Anyone who is not totally ignorant about beer would spend a little more to actually enjoy a beer once in a while"

Of course Stone, nor anyone else, would create a commercial stating that (wouldn't it be freaking great if they did?).

AB has what, a 50% share of the US market and now they have to resort to bashing other beer styles? It just seems odd to me.
 
AB has what, a 50% share of the US market and now they have to resort to bashing other beer styles? It just seems odd to me.

Not odd, just plain business sense.

AB's share is stagnating and that is BAD for a publically owned company which has to provide gowth for their shareholdes. Most micro's don't have that problem and that's why they can focuss on experimenting while they have a few flagships that bring in the revenue.

You should read "Ambitous Brew" by Maureen Ogle. It explains many of the things you are seeing now.

I don't care much but like to see AB and the others struggle a little bit. Micros won't go away because of that and if they do they were either mismanaged or actually made bad beer.

Kai
 
I think the only thing preventing that commercial is Stone's advertising budget. If it was even half financially prudent, I bet Greg Koch would do it in a heartbeat, just for the bastard-ness of it.

ohiobrewtus said:
The porter is not very good at all. It's not horrible, but it's not a very good repsentation of the style, IMO. I have not had any of the other Michelob craptastic beers.

As to AB's statement that dark cloudy beers hide imperfections - I'll agree that to some extent those beers are a bit more forgiving. I'll also agree that a light American Lager is a tough brew to get right, but neither of those were my point.

AB saying that dark and cloudy beers hide imperfections may be a factual statement, but it's in the commercial for the sole purpose of bashing any and all cloudy or dark beers.

It would be like Stone coming out with a national commercial that says "American Lagers are fizzy, yellow beers that have only slightly more taste than water, are rediculously cheap to make and are very low in quality compared to the dozens of other beer styles that are available. Anyone who is not totally ignorant about beer would spend a little more to actually enjoy a beer once in a while"

Of course Stone, nor anyone else, would create a commercial stating that (wouldn't it be freaking great if they did?).

AB has what, a 50% share of the US market and now they have to resort to bashing other beer styles? It just seems odd to me.
 
ohiobrewtus said:
It would be like Stone coming out with a national commercial that says "American Lagers are fizzy, yellow beers that have only slightly more taste than water, are rediculously cheap to make and are very low in quality compared to the dozens of other beer styles that are available. Anyone who is not totally ignorant about beer would spend a little more to actually enjoy a beer once in a while"

What are you talking about? They put that on the bottles, or something that says about the same thing. Then, they go on to insult the people who drink such a thing. If you ever talk to Greg Koch, you'll quickly understand that he deeply believes it, too. Slamming the competition is part of the game around these parts.


TL
 
Kaiser said:
They are either buying them completely or getting a large share of them. They are just hedging their bets, that's what I would do to.

Red Hook for example is partly owned by AB, that's also a reason why it is so widely available since they can use AB's delivery infrastructure.

Kai


I was going to say "didn't they buy the rights to Hoegaarden a while back"? I found this page:

http://www.anheuser-busch.com/BeerVerified.html
 
I dunno what to think about them (AB). I think at this point they don't bother me as much as they used to in a sense. I agree with Kai, if a micro fails either they had bad business practices or they just made bad beer. I will however add though, that sometimes smaller businesses fail simply because of circumstance, like wrong place/wrong time type of thing.

They do make a very consistent product, so hats off to them for that. Kind of like Hershey makes a very consistent product using computer controlled blending etc. It is their trademark. Part of me though, is beginning to feel that in all this perhaps absolute consistency isn't always necessarily a good thing as it basically shelters us from the reality that things in life aren't always...uhm...consistent. I know that sounds odd but think about it. I personally don't mind small variation in food and beverage products as long as it isn't extreme or tastes/appears bad. That is part of why I love homebrewing so much. We can make rather consistent products but part of what really brings things home is when we make 'that batch' that just for some reason stands out a little more. It reminds me of wine in a way. You really see to a large degree the impact of location and season on a crop of grapes on a 'year' of wine much more than you do with Barley. I am not entirely sure what the reason behind this is, but that nuance alone drives connoisseurs to seek out particular 'years'.

The mere existence of things like AB products in reality create in me a greater appreciation for not only the growing amount of phenomenal micros here in the states, but my own endevours as well. :)
 
Iterestingly enough, this German wiki site lists InBev as the holder of many of the brands shown on the AB site. is InBev owned by AB?

Edit:

InBev and AB are not the same (yet), but AB distributes InBev's brands in the US (article). That's why you see Loewenbraeu and many other European brands on AB's list.

Kai
 
TexLaw said:
What are you talking about? They put that on the bottles, or something that says about the same thing. Then, they go on to insult the people who drink such a thing. If you ever talk to Greg Koch, you'll quickly understand that he deeply believes it, too. Slamming the competition is part of the game around these parts.


TL

They're not just slamming the competition - that I have less of a problem with since a lot of companies use that as their main marketing drive. AB is slamming all beer styles that are not "The Great American Lager".

Sure it's smart on their part. They know that most of the US drinks their crap and only their crap. They know that if they say that other beers suck that most people will believe it.

It ticks me off because there probably is not another single beer style as plain and ordinary as the "Great American Lager". It would be a shame if AB orders the Lemmings to not try something other than their swill.

I said it ticks me off, I never said that they didn't have the right to do it.
 
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