2014 SuperBowl Ads – Budweiser’s Narrative Helps Us Forget A Soldier #sb48

As we ooh’d and ahh’d over this touching little puppy ad by Budweiser in the 4th quarter of the SuperBowl…we have forgotten.

Budweiser…as always, knows how to create a tremendous ad narrative throughout big events like the SuperBowl. Sprinkling little story-lines in short little commercials that have nothing to do with beer. These little micro-narratives have everything to do with being “American.”

As soon as it was played, “Puppy Love” was deemed the ad of the night. The image above started floating all around the Twitterverse with immediate “puppy love” from the online community. There is just so much that is American about a dog, a horse, a ranch, and this connection of friendship.

But what about that ad that played just an hour before called “A Hero’s Welcome” by Budweiser. It was a play-by-play of a Lt. Chuck Nadd coming home to a big ole welcome party. There is so much American about a soldier serving his country, coming home to welcome party…Budweiser style.

Then, after the ad…they Fox Superbowl coverage cuts directly to Lt. Chuck Nadd and his wife siting in the stands watching the game. This image was hard to find online. I almost had to make my DVR go back to this moment during the game so I could get a shot.

This image is the image of great American love. A soldier, after returning home, sitting with his wife, enjoying a great American past time.

So what is the connectivity between “Puppy Love” and “A Hero’s Welcome”? Both follow the content stream of great things that make us feel American. But nothing really connects these storylines. If anything…”Puppy Love” makes us forget for a few minutes what really makes us American. It makes us feel warm and fuzzy, and even makes the women in the room go…”ahhh…cute”.

But since the “Puppy Love” commercial ran close to the end of the game…did we forget about “A Hero’s Welcome”?

Disconnected narratives can make us forget themes and story-lines that might be the real nugget of this American fabric. Yes…Budweiser is in the business of selling beer. And we will remember Budweiser because we were reminded over and over. But do they really need us to remember Budweiser the next time in the grocery store?

Imagine if Budweiser found a way to create a narrative throughout all their ads that helped us remember the sum of all parts…instead of just one little cute shot of a puppy and a horse. Imagine a connected storyline that could create a progression of this soilder’s story…one that made you wait for the next little chapter.

Too bad all the Monday morning coffee talk will be about a little puppy…the soldier’s story was much more touching.

Here is the Budweiser Super Bowl XLVIII Commercial — “A Hero’s Welcome”