I saw a familiar name on the front page of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch yesterday. A name that consumed a big part of my life for six years. I knew at the time this affair would end with me crying in my beer, thinking of all I had put into the relationship. But I knew at the time my love would be unrequited.
That name was Budweiser. The headline said, "Rebuilding Bud bandwagon." Actually the headline had put a positive spin on a rather devastating situation. A telling figure: 4 out of 10 people in their mid-20's have never even tried a Bud. Sorry to say, Budweiser is no longer the King of Beers. Barely a Prince. It fell from its throne some time ago. Actually overthrown by a mob of young drinkers who felt no connection with the brand. Done in by misdirection and myopia. Bud's share of market has declined from 26% in 1988 to just over 9% last year. That's a worse record than Bernie Madoff.
Okay, enough marketing data. I don't like it any more than you do.
Why do I care? I don't drink Bud anymore, don't own AB/InBev stock, my son isn't a beer distributor. I care because I was Creative Director on Bud for 6 years, back when D'Arcy Advertising was a big name in the business, not only in St. Louis but nationally. Today D'Arcy doesn't exist, except in distant echoes and dusty images conjured by aging Mad Men and Women who remember "back when we had fun." And we did.
As I read the article, I felt as though I had just run into an old girl friend. Once she was the stunning, vibrant object of my desire. Now before me stood a stooped, frail woman, chain smoking Camels, her face deeply lined, her arms and neck covered with a swirl of tattoos in an effort to appear young and hip. One of the tattoos said, "Whassup?" Whatever that meant.
"What happened to you?" I said.
"They did it to me,": she replied in a voice that still carried faint promise. "They sacrificed my honor, my soul, to the gods of easy fame and hearty guffaws."
"You poor thing," I said, still unwilling to touch her.
I worked on the Bud brand from 1982 through 1988. Good years. Advertising well thought out and beautifully crafted. Commercials that still move me. Then came The Frogs. I still tremble at the thought of them. Talking Frogs. Lizards named Louie. Even ants carrying a bottle of Bud. Ants!!! Yes, people talked how funny and clever they were. But, like termites, they bored from within.
And that was just the beginning. Throw the desecration of the Clydesdales in there while you're at it. Once they were a symbol of Bud's heritage. Unhitched, they became a circus act frolicking in the snow.
So now AB/InBev thinks it can resurrect Bud in the U.S., bring it back to its former glory, make it "relevant" again. Sure, and Burger Chef will sell hamburgers again and TWA will fly again and my next car will be a Pontiac.
Oh the memories. I knew Bud. We weren't the best of friends, nor the worst, just friends. Nonetheless, I owe him a lot for suggesting I diet on his cousin, Bud Lite. BL and I were real pals, especially when he was nearly frozen. But, as Lauri Anderson says, "We came to America, we say it, then we tipped it over and sold it.
ReplyDeleteReminds me of The Excedrin Headache saga. Great campaign, very funny, garnered lots of creative
ReplyDeletepraise...but Anacin ("Pain!...Pain!...")from Ted Bates sold more pills, and soon the laughter stopped altogether. Nothing was ever funny again about a headache. We never saw another Jack Tinker "No Matter What Shape Your Stomache's In," either. Them was the days. Jimco
If I drank, I'd drink to this post! Happy belated birthday, Ad Man.
ReplyDeleteThem hops are a little bitter, my friend. But let’s raise a bottle of Schlafly to local ownership. And for the sake of all the jobs, hope the Clydesdales can pull some better market share.
ReplyDeleteTwo words Gerry: Micro Brew
ReplyDeleteThat tasty phenom has done more to sink Bud than anything advertising could screw up. And the more A-B tried to come out with macro imitations of micro brews, the worse it got. Better tasting beer from true craftsmen has become the thing to drink. And more power to them. Same thing is happening in high end liquor, "slow food" and chocolate. Hershey's will see the next big torpedo...
I like the bitter hops comment, Owlscribe. Perhaps so. But I will raise a bottle of Schlafly with you.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the birthday wishes, Linda. I drank Miller Lite that night.