Dude

Have you seen those Bud Light commercials that demonstrate the flexibility of the word, "dude"? They're awesome. Maybe I appreciate it more because I use "dude" a lot. MSN Slate gave the ad an A-. Now...since I'm a marketing-minded person, I always wonder about the effectiveness of Bud Light commercials. Collectively, they're easily some of the funniest commercials out there. But funny doesn't always mean it's a good advertisement. As a beer drinker, their ads don't make me want to go buy Bud Light. The only time I drink Bud Light is if it's a special at the bar...if I'm slumming to a generic, cheap beer, I'm going with Coors Light (but it sure as hell isn't because of their love train commercials).

I think the majority of Bud Light ads do a good job though. They almost always have to do with drinking/getting a Bud Light, whether they actually say the name or not. The "Dude" commercial, for example, demonstrates the different pronunciations of dude, and ends with the "dude what the hell?" inflection when his friend gets champagne at the bar (and he has a Bud Light of course). Or the other version, at the football game, when he yells dude as if to say "hey...I'm coming to get a beer," as they lock up the counter that sells it. But the only dialogue of the commercials is "dude."

Do their ads make people get up, go out, and buy some Bud Light? Maybe not...but what does these days? Does it stick in people's heads, remind people that they're the "funny commercial" beer, make them laugh when they think about it later on, and possibly persuade some people to buy it? I think so.

I know Bud Light always puts out a few different commercials during the Superbowl, and it's gotten to the point that I expect them to be one of the, if not the, funniest commercial(s) during the game. I'm thinking they might even put out another variation of the Dude commercials...we'll see. I'll be sure to give my commentary on the game and the commercials next week.