Budweiser Is Skipping The Super Bowl Ad Game This Year For A Good Reason

A still from the latest Budweiser ad, which will not appear
in the Super Bowl, breaking a 37-year tradition. Instead,
the ad is aimed at encouraging Covid vaccinations

 A staple of Super Bowl advertising for decades has been Budweiser ads.  

We're familiar with the heartwarming Clydesdale horses, and the goofy other commercials that advertise this alleged beer (I'm a beer snob, deal with it).

Everything's been turned upside down over the past year, so why not Super Bowl ads. Instead of the Super Bowl, Budweiser is turning its attention to Covid. Why not? Everybody else has been forced to.

Of course, the Super Bowl won't be entirely Budweiser free. There will be at least one Bud Light commercial. 

Plus, it appears Sam Adams beer has hijacked the Clydesdale horses this year. 

In the main Budweiser 90-second ad, Rashida Jones narrates "Bigger Picture" which reviews some of the ways we've learned to cope during the pandemic. Like the Clydesdale ads, this commercial tries (and in my opinion succeeds) at pulling at our heartstrings.

The ad includes people singing to each other from apartment windows as they self-isolate, drive-by birthday parties, people trying to break out into dancing, or some version of that, in an attempt to raise spirits. 

To add to the hope, there's also clips of health workers receiving Covid vaccines, and giving thumbs ups in reaction to the shots. 

The ad concludes with the message that for the first time in 37 years, Budweiser is not airing super bowl commercials this year. Instead, Budweiser is redirecting advertising dollars toward raising awareness of Covid vaccines.

"See you at the game next year," the ad concludes.

There is certainly an undercurrent of resistance to taking the Covid vaccine, and this Budweiser ad might be the beginning of a counter offensive against that anti-vax sentiment. 

I expect celebrities, sports figures and other famous people will join in, and start lending their voices and prestige to the "let's get vaccinated" drumbeat. 

They won't have to sell me.  I can't wait until it's my turn to receive the shots. However, not everybody is so gung-ho, and it will take some convincing. 

There's precedent for this. 

When the Salk vaccine was introduced to combat polio in the 1950s, it got off to a slow start.

One early batch of the vaccine killed or paralyzed some children, the result of a not careful enough manufacturer which was quickly kicked out of the vaccination program.

Moreover, teenagers in particular reluctant to take the vaccine, under the mistaken belief that the shots were only for toddlers and babies. 

Enter Elvis Presley.   

As Politico reports:

"On October 28 1956, backstage at "The Ed Sullivan Show,: the 21-year old Elvis Presley - the smooth-faced, pouting swivel-hipped hero of American youth - extended his left arm. In went the needle. Off went the flashbulbs. A polio star was born.

And then he went on stage to wiggle, wink and wail 'Hound Dog,' 'Love Me Tender,' and 'Don't Be Cruel'"

With that, teenagers embraced the polio vaccine.

The challenge to convince everyone to get vaccinated is bigger now in our much more fractured society.  There's probably a lot of celebrity niches to hit to change reluctant minds about the vaccine. 

Also, heartwarming ads help. At least a little. Why do you think the anti-animal cruelty ads use the heartbreaking Sarah McLachlan song "Arms Of The Angel," to get you to donate?  The ads make you cry and want to rescue the puppies. Manipulative, but effective. 

So, a Budweiser ad that tugs at your heart just a bit might give a few people a nudge toward getting their shot. Hey, every inoculation is a small victory, right?

Here's the Budweiser Covid ad, below. As always, click on the video to make it bigger and easier to see.