Budweiser: Born The Hard Way

During the 2017 Superbowl, Budweiser showcased their "Born The Hard Wary" commercial. Many people were drawn to this commercial because it told a story of origin, and with immigration being a hot topic these days, it stirred a ton of attention. 

A brief back-story, Adolphus Busch traveled as an immigrant from Germany, eager to make his mark in America. Within the next few decades, he would find himself the founding father of one of the most iconic American brands. 

The beauty of living in America is that our stories all started somewhere else. Even Budweiser, a brand associated with all things “American” has German roots. 

Although this received both positive and negative feedback, I believe that it was an incredible story, especially for a beer commercial.

I think that we can learn a lot from Budweiser from this campaign. The first, is that story telling in advertisements is a great way to tell the consumer about your company, while connecting emotionally to the consumer, even if it is already a well-known brand. Consumer research has proven time and time again that if you can form an emotional bond with the consumer, they are more likely to develop brand loyalty and keep buying. Another thing that we can learn from Budweiser is that it is ok to touch on the hot-topics that get people talking, as long as it is done tastefully, and is not directly offensive to any group.

All in all, Budweiser did a great job with this commercial, and I hope to see other brands follow in their footsteps.

Three weird tricks companies use to false advertise their foods

Do you ever wonder why food looks so much better in commercials and posters than it does in real life? Advertised food rarely ever looks like the real food that they are selling. There is even a job specifically made for this kind of manipulation, called a 'food stylist.' I'm going to share three weird tricks that companies use to false advertise their food. 

1. Mashed potatoes. When photographing ice cream, usually color-dyed mashed potatoes are used so that the hot lights don't melt away the shape. In fact, mashed potatoes are used in various different ways, like to stuff meat to make it look plumper, and to thicken sauces used so that they don't run into the rest of the dish.

2. Perfectly-lit studios. Preparation time for just one picture of a burger can take several hours. Even with the perfect lighting, ingredients and toppings must be perfectly cooked and strategically organized. Typically, they use syringes to add ketchup, mustard, and mayo, to get the most precise and balanced photo. Tweezers are also used to add pickles, onions, and even the sesame seeds on a bun.

3. Dish soap. This is one of the strangest ones I’ve found. To make it look like drinks are freshly poured, food stylists add dish soap bubbles to the surface right before the shot. This is typically used for milk, coffee, and most juices.

Needless to say, stay away from food photo shoots and never trust a food stylist.