Budweiser trolls your pretentious craft beer in Super Bowl commercial
Budweiser is trading its cute puppies for the tough-guy disdain for craft and imported beers that has become a hallmark of its advertising this Super Bowl.
Now, instead of befriending puppies, the brand's signature Clydesdale horses -- which the commercial reminds you are "not ponies" -- look fierce and powerful as they gallop at a full sprint.
An ominous pounding soundtrack amps up the energy level as an old man at a bar flicks a lemon off of his beer -- Budweisers are "not fruit cups" -- and heavy machinery makes it clear that the AB-InBev brand is trying to set itself apart from smaller craft competitors.
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"Not small...not a hobby...not for sipping...not backing down since 1876," Bud declares.
The irony: Budweiser itself has been buying up craft breweries in an effort to compete with the scrappy artisanal brands while persisting in its efforts to crush the craft beer revolution.
While the adorable animals always made for viral hits each Super Bowl, they didn't do much for Budweiser's sales and now the brand is going full-tilt in another direction.
The 60-second spot, which was created by ad agency Anomaly New York, will run during the Big Game on Sunday along with a PSA-style ad of Helen Mirren telling off drunk drivers.
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Topics Advertising
Patrick Kulp is a Business Reporter at Mashable. Patrick covers digital advertising, online retail and the future of work. A graduate of UC Santa Barbara with a degree in political science and economics, he previously worked at the Pacific Coast Business Times.