The Hot Iron

Thursday, July 31, 2008

Lowest Common Denominator Or Strategic

While sitting in traffic on the Eisenhower Expressway in Chicago, this billboard for Bud Light was staring at me for about 5 minutes, as shown in the photo below:

The photo shows 2 icy bottles of Bud Light with the large caption, “Superior Drinkability.” As I stared back at the billboard, I questioned to myself, “doesn’t that mean simply that you can drink it?”

Being someone who has consumed a few beers in my lifetime, the fact that I could drink the beer before me never came to mind. I was more concerned with the taste. Several hours later when I got home I looked up the word drinkability at Merriam Webster’s and was given a definition of “suitable or safe for drinking.”

Suitable? Safe? Or more importantly, what is Budweiser’s intent with this message? Are they taking their product to the lowest common denominator and saying that it can be consumed, or are the being strategic and appealing to something that – as you can read above – is beyond me?

Excuse me if I am missing the point, and if you get it, I would appreciate your insight. If it were me, I would think there were more merits to my product.

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Posted by Mike Maddaloni on 07/31 at 04:00 AM
Business • (4) Comments • (0) Trackbacks • Permalink •

I know what you mean but I think they’re inferring that it has “superior drinkability” because of the light taste. For example, I love Heineken and don’t like Bud, yet I can drink 4 Bud lights in the time it takes me to drink a Heineken (usually).

That and the fact that no one that could be swayed by an ad knows what “drinkability” means or even how to use a dictionary…

Comment by Pure
on 07/31/08 at 12:18 PM
 

Hi Pure - Thanks for visiting, and helping clear up this billboard!

mp/m

Comment by Mike Maddaloni
on 07/31/08 at 03:48 PM
 

My friend, the late Bill Boland, Bank of Scotland, used to comment on Bud by saying, “I’m thirsty, I need water, bartender, bring me a Bud!”  I think this is playing on the fact that, like water, you can chug a Bud.

Comment by Don Pedro
on 08/01/08 at 07:32 AM
 

Don Pedro - You won’t see any Guinness ads with that tagline, eh?

Comment by Daniel
on 08/03/08 at 11:22 AM
 

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