At least they are being honest...

[MossRose]

I'm almost speechless, but as you all know, that's an impossibility. Yes, I admit the Bud Clydesdales commercials always brought a tear to my eye. LOL. C'mon - puppies and horses, and the 9-11 tribute were masterpieces of marketing. But now they are admitting that they are less concerned with us older alkies and turning their attention to young people. I heard this morning on the news that they are now running campaigns on college campuses. How can this even be possible? Oh but no worries, the Clydsedales will be back in time for the Super Bowl to remind us all to drink responsibly. aarrgh!!! Anyway, I needed to vent.

http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/business/2014/11/24/budweiser-clydesdales-to-be-put-out-to-pasture-for-the-holidays/19492009/

[NotHappyHourHappyLife]

There's a commercial where the young man leaves his dog home alone and returns the next day to say, "Sorry Buddy, I had too much to drink last night!"

If I was that dog I would've chewed through every shoe and peed on every corner. Remind me how this was responsible marketing?

[NoSugar]

So many people love that commercial, NHHL - it drives me crazy! I thing it is wrong on all levels. The dog is cute but like you said, too bad he didn't wreck the house!

[NotHappyHourHappyLife]

An alternative ending:
Young man leaves his home with a 6 pack.... "see you later Buddy".
The house darkens, the dog gets worried.
Smart dog uses his paw to send an email to the Young Man's mom.
Young man returns home to find his Mom sleeping on the Couch, with Buddy snuggled around her legs.

Young man whispers to himself, "Oh snap. Thanks a lot Buddy!!!!"

[MossRose]

Somehow I have managed to miss this commercial. NHHHL - I like your ending better. I can't imagine anyone finds this commercial endearing. Animal neglect because you are too drunk to make it home? Bet they wouldn't find it so cute if it was his child. Amazing how they can spin something so awful into something that makes people say awwww.

That was my point earlier. They use puppies and horses, to market a poison. Makes me say hmmmm.

[NoSugar]

Here you go: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=eubWYPhcEEo

Happy Thanksgiving, Friend. I know it is a very special one for you :hug:

[MossRose]

Thanks NS. I have never seen this before. But I must say, Bud hires some really good marketing people. We all see the sinister meaning behind it, but I know that most people (non-alcoholics) would find this "responsible" in some weird sort of way. I like the message - don't drink and drive. I hate the vehicle. They flash the words "be responsible" enough times to make it seem palatable, yet they don't mention anything about being responsible to Buddy. Disturbing.

Yes, tomorrow is a big day. I hope it goes smoothly. I get to spend time with my sons and my grand-puppy and I promise, I won't get drunk and ignore him. haha

[abcowboy]

Okay, I'll be the shit disturber in the group lol, I think the commercials are spot on! Only an alcoholic would think of the devious marketing ploys enlisted by the breweries! But, then again, Bubba and I leave Hank to have free roam of the house during the weekday while we are at work, he respects it, and is sitting in the window waiting for his 1 hour play time when I get home. My son and I had this very same discussion when the commercial first came out, my and his DOC was/is Budweiser, he can still enjoy while I lost that privilege! So he says to me, am I mad at Budweiser, or jealous of others who can drink responsibly? With the holiday season upon us, the TV will be full of alcohol commercials, will I be mad at the networks for airing them, or just leave the TV shut off for 2 months? Just because I'm powerless over alcohol doesn't mean that I shouldn't be able tolerate those who can enjoy responsibly. To me it all boils down to how do I handle AL, or the lack of it for the rest of my life? Simple, one day at a time! Don't begrudge those who can moderate, don't hate myself because I can't, just accept the new me and work on being an even better person!

[NoSugar]

The messages not to drink and drive and to think of those who love you of course are good ones but at its core, it is yet another ad that promotes and normalizes drinking (note the beer bottles in the scenes as the puppy grows up) - including at a level beyond that at which a person can legally drive. That isn't moderate drinking. The message that it is ok to drink too much as long as you don't drive really isn't a good one, in my opinion. The cute puppy is there to make us feel good about the commercial (and hence, the product) and the overall "don't drink and drive" theme is to lead us to believe that Budweiser is a responsible company with our interests (and those of our loved ones, including dogs) at heart.

[abcowboy]

But then again, all of society normalizes drinking, it's how we as alcoholics handle it....

[NoSugar]

Normalizing an activity with the consequences alcohol addiction has is a problem, I think. The advertising people are very good at what they do - and we're all being manipulated. It isn't "normal" to consume a known poison, even to the point of being sick, passing out, etc. - all parts of the experience (including for non-addicts in many cases) which are not depicted in the commercials.

[abcowboy]

That's true NS, what they didn't show is the condition of the people at the end of the night, none of the commercials ever show that, just the good times

[MossRose]

Cowboy - I agree that ads are not responsible for me drinking irresponsibly. I just like to deconstruct them. It's like a game for me. I don't limit myself to just Bud ads. I am old enough to remember cigarette advertising. All those catchy jingles - my friends and I used to sing them when we were kids. But I don't blame those ads for me smoking all those years. It was a choice.

Today we have prescription drug ads that show happy people running through fields of flowers, while the narrator lists the 100+ side effects that can occur. Unbelievably, I have read studies that prove those ads have people running to the doctor and demanding these drugs without really knowing whether they need them or not. They don't want the meds so much, they want to be happy and running through fields of flowers. It's all perception.

That's the point of marketing. So you and I agree on that point. We could pull all of the AL ads (as they did with cigarettes) and it won't change behavior one bit. That's where education comes in. So in the meantime, I just like to talk back to my TV during commercials. LOL. I need a life.