Client: Budweiser
Agency: DDB
Yes! A beer commercial with heart! This is packed full of a couple things that warrant discussion. First, dealing with the US soldiers coming home from the middle east (in wake of Osama’s assassination perhaps?). This is a heavy topic, and I like that Bud is taking it to heart and turning into a piece of creative for the brand. Secondly, the ambiguity of the relationship between the soldier and the guy he calls. Are they brothers, best friends…or, dare I say, boyfriends? Is this an homage to the defeat of the US “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy? I like that it doesn’t attempt to make a clear, definable marking of who they are to each other. Because, really, it doesn’t matter.
Regardless of some of the politics in this spot, it’s nice to see a beer company try something a little more emotional on for size. No, it won’t win a Gold Lion…but it makes Bud look like a brand that cares.
