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September 30, 2014

Budweiser + Puppies Against Drunk Driving

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eubWYPhcEEo

In Budweiser’s first anti-drunk driving digital video ad, “Friends are Waiting,” they use a tactic I vividly remember learning in my college course, titled “The Psychology of Learning.” The key takeaway as it relates to the ad above, is that commercials that positively reinforce good behavior are more successful  than commercials that use negative messaging or scare tactics.

As many might agree, the gruesome anti-smoking ads are more likely to make us want to change the channel than they are to make us quit smoking. Similar to the infamous ASPCA commercials with Sarah McLachlan swooning in the background music – again causing us to feel sad and uncomfortable enough to mute or change the channel rather than calling and donating to the cause.

Budweiser used the anti-drunk driving platform to tell the story from the point-of-view of a loyal golden lab. The dog is by his owner’s side from the time he is a puppy up until he is an older dog and watching his owner walk out the door with a case of Budweiser for a night out with friends. The dog anxiously awaits his arrival home, running to the window at any sign of noise or car lights in the driveway, but the owner never returns. Not until the morning that is, when the owner walks through door.

Budweiser’s portrayal of friendship and fun times in this video are parallel to its most popular campaigns, but with a very different underlying message. This nontraditional anti-drunk-driving ad is not only impactful, but it remains loyal to the Budweiser brand of always having content that is fun, memorable and relatable for its viewer.