The Budweiser Clydesdales Super Bowl Commercial-2013

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The Budweiser Clydesdales Super Bowl Commercial-2013

The Budweiser Clydesdales Super bowl commercial 2013 presents a different way of advertising a product. From the onset, the advertisers are concerned with showing a level of attachment between a man and his horse. This attachment grows over time and the two of them seem to know more about each other with each passing day. They play together and they spend a lot of time with each other. The degree of attachment is such that the man seems to experience a great loss when has to say goodbye to his horse. The viewer can see the bond that has developed between the two when the horse escapes and runs to the man later after being sold. The first time that the viewer gets an inkling of the product being advertised is when the track comes to pick up the horse from the farmer. The track belongs to Budweiser, and one sees the inscriptions as the track is leaving the farm. The success of the advert is not in its frequent mentioning of the product, but in its ability to appeal to the emotions of the audience.

The advert featured during the super bowl commercial which is watched by millions of people across the country. The audience is diversified as it features people of different age, gender, preferences and personalities. The advertisers seem to have been keen on this when developing the commercial. They focused on ensuring that any person would be able to watch the video without feeling uncomfortable about it. The advertisers’ role is to ensure that the commercial reaches the identified market segment. They have to tailor the adverts to the needs of the market (Nairn and Berthon 84). In this case, the targeted market segments are people who desire to have that lasting brotherhood and bond between them. The tone of an advert refers to the mood and the attitude that the audience develops after seeing it (Solomon, Marshall and Stuart 389). The story in the advert creates feelings of suspense among the audience, as they want to know what is happening to the two. This in turn leads to pleasant sentiments as the viewers watch the breeder and the horse form a close bond. At the end of the commercial, the viewers anticipate the moment when the horse will recognize its breeder after being separated from him. This enhances the feelings of excitement as the horse runs towards the breeder. The last scene is the most emotional and it is bound to create a lasting impression on the viewers.

Effective adverts have to reach the targeted audience and capture and hold their attention. The commercial tells a story between a man and a horse. It does not do so using words and this makes it possible for the viewer to understand the events that are happening even without hearing the background voice. Although the background music is important and appealing, it is not the focus behind the commercial. The advert would be aired during the super bowl and the advertisers had to ensure that they were able to capture the audience in spite of all the noise. Moreover, the decision to incorporate a story will help in reaching the targeted audience at home, who may decide to mute their televisions during half time.

Stories have a way of capturing people’s attention and this has made the advert effective. The advertisers have managed to tell the story between the two characters by including mini-plots. Using quick cuts enables the advertiser to include as much information as possible, which will enable the story to unfold (Friedman 92). The ad features the horse when it was young and had to depend on its breeder for everything to the time it is about three years old. There are several mini-plots included in the story showing how the close bond and friendship between the characters develops. Advertisers must ensure that the advertisement communicates the message they intend to pass. Furthermore, an advert has to tie in the message to the brand name (Cheverton 317). The viewer should not be confused when they are watching the advert. The Clydesdales horses are a symbol of the Budweiser brand. The company is confident that the audience understands this. However, they have included instances where they reveal the company’s brand to the viewers. This happens when the man is reading a news feature informing the readers that the parade will come to town. At the same time, the viewer can see a bottle of Budweiser that the man is drinking. 

 The setting of the commercial is appropriate. It features the Budweiser Clydesdale on a farm. Three years later, the setting changes to a city. Using the farm setting was appropriate because it created a realistic feel. The Clydesdales are raised in farms and in time, they develop a bond with their breeders. The setting changes to a city and the horse depicted in this scene has a different outlook. This shows the changed status and role. The change in the setting is in line with the theme. It communicates the message that the two friends can bond at any place and time. The main theme behind the commercial is the creation of a lasting bond. The advertisers want to express the idea that some things last for a lifetime. Such is the case between the breeder and his horse. When the breeder goes to the city to see the parade, he thinks that his horse has forgotten him and he accepts this. However, as soon as he is about to start driving, he sees the horse run towards him. The horse obeys him and it is clear that it still remembers the breeder. The advertisers intend on passing the same message to the viewers concerning the relationship that the customers have with their products.

Works Cited:

Cheverton, Peter. Key Marketing Skills: Strategies, Tools and Techniques for Marketing Success. United Kingdom: Kogan Publishers, 2005. Print

Friedman, Anthony. Writing for Visual Media. United Kingdom: Taylor & Francis, 2010. Print

Nairn, Agnes and Pierre, Berthon. “Creating the Customer: The Influence of Advertising on Consumer Market Segments – Evidence and Ethics.” Journal of Business Ethics 42.1 (2003): 83-100

Solomon, Michael R. Greg, Marshall W. and Elnora, Stuart W. Marketing Real People Real Choices. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall, 2011. Print