Anheuser-Busch responds
A week or two back i blogged about a new Bud billboard up on I-85 in Durham.
I didn't like it.
I wrote to A-B and told them i didn't like it.
They wrote back:
I like how they point out that the tagline, "Expect Everything" is a reference to the "beer’s attributes of having both a full-bodied taste and light beer statistics." And they do this by putting the crown symbol, literally, over a vagina.
Hey, tastes great, right?
I didn't like it.
I wrote to A-B and told them i didn't like it.
They wrote back:
Thank you for contacting Anheuser-Busch about our Budweiser Select advertising. We appreciate hearing from the public, even when it comes in the form of constructive criticism.
We regret that this particular advertisement offended you, as this was not our intention. Instead, the new Budweiser Select “Expect Everything” ads are intended reflect the lifestyle of contemporary adults enjoying a social night out on the town. It is fair to say that all models utilized in our advertising are dressed in a style that can be found at contemporary adult nightspots in major metropolitan areas across America and are presented in a way that is representative of lifestyle fashions of today.
We would also like to point out that the tagline, “Expect Everything,” as used in all of our print, outdoor, radio and television advertising, refers to the beer’s attributes of having both a full-bodied taste and light beer statistics.
We do take the concerns of the public seriously and will keep your comments in mind as we develop future advertising.
Again, Barry, thank you for contacting Anheuser-Busch. Please let us know if you have additional comments or questions.
I like how they point out that the tagline, "Expect Everything" is a reference to the "beer’s attributes of having both a full-bodied taste and light beer statistics." And they do this by putting the crown symbol, literally, over a vagina.
Hey, tastes great, right?
Since 1949, Durhamites have slept soundly, secure in the knowledge that, in our town, erection can be depended upon. Now, thanks to the power of the internets, we can spread that security all over the world.
5 Comments:
Boy, they haven't responded to my complaint. I guess I don't rate. Or they've gotten so many complaints they're still plowing through them all.
And gosh, I would certainly take and advertiser at their word if they told me that a sexual double entendre was unintentional. I'm sure it never occurred to anyone on the ad team.
By
Anonymous, at 8:05 AM
For a real, hoot, check this out:
www.beeresponsible.com//gauntlet/gauntlet/print.html
The first step in the (sic) gauntlet is passing an Standards and Practices of the American Association of Advertising Agencies, which includes this prohibition:
Statements, suggestions, or pictures offensive to public decency or minority segments of the population.
and:
Clear and willful violations of these Standards of Practice may be referred to the Board of Directors of the American Association of Advertising Agencies fo appropriate action, including possible annulment of membership as provided by Article IV, Section 5, of the Constitution and By-Laws.
By
Anonymous, at 8:17 AM
Hey, it should be obvious that i like a good sexual double entendre as much as anyone.
This ad is not flashing any hidden sexual messages.
This ad is an invitation to rape.
By
Barry, at 9:11 AM
I think "invitation to rape" is a bit strong of a description. And it's not any worse than a lot of other advertising and entertainment, IMO.
Somewhat related: A friend of mine put this up on MySpace; someone else posted it on LJ: http://mammaearth.livejournal.com/27620.html
The cover of Stuff seems particularly germane.
By
Joseph H. Vilas, at 12:37 PM
Alas, i am not able to see any of the images linked to on the LJ page, so i don't know if they're "sexual advertising" or really breast-feeding pictures.
And yes, i'm fully aware that sex sells beer, often without going as far as this particular ad does.
The Heineken light TV ad, featuring the R&B song "Don't you wish your girlfriend was freaky like me" comes to mind as one that gets pretty close to the edge, but not so close that i feel compelled to write about it.
The particular elements of this ad that are troubleseome include the headless torso (actually, not even a torso, just a crotch shot), the beer brand logo positioned directly above the vaginal area, and the phrase "Expect Everything" completely devoid of any reference to the actual, you know, beer.
It's a bad ad.
By
Barry, at 1:15 PM
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