You’ll Never Watch Super Bowl Beer Ads the Same Way Again (Top 5 Breakdown)
Welcome to Journey to the Sunny Side, the podcast where we have thoughtful conversations to explore the science of habits, uncover the secrets to mindful living, and, of course, inspire your own mindful drinking journey. This podcast is brought to you by Sunny Side, the number one alcohol moderation platform. And if you could benefit from drinking a bit less, head on over to sunnyside.co to get a free fifteen day trial. I'm your host, Mike Hardenbrook, published author, neuroscience enthusiast, and habit change expert. Welcome back to Journey to the Sunnyside.
Speaker 1:I'm Mike Hardenbrook, and I almost wanted to say on this ten minute Monday. However, it's Wednesday. And the reason I'm talking to you on a Wednesday is because we are thinking about adding more of these solo episodes in throughout the week. Now we won't be doing away with the interviews. However, we're considering switching it up, keeping it fresh.
Speaker 1:And if you'd like to hear more of these solo episodes, please send your feedback to mike@sunnyside.co. I'd love to know what you think. If you think we should add more of these in, if we should add more interviews, if you have questions, anything, literally anything. Or even if you want me to talk about a specific topic on one of these episodes, send me an email. So today is Wednesday after Super Bowl weekend, and I wanna start with a wild stat.
Speaker 1:And according to a resource called FinTech, Americans were estimated to drink over 325,000,000 gallons of beer on Super Bowl Sunday. That is the equivalent of every single American drinking at least 10 cans of beer. But here's what's even crazier about that. Not everyone watches the Super Bowl, and not everyone drinks beer. So when you factor in those that do, the actual number per person is even higher.
Speaker 1:That's not by accident. Beer companies have spent decades making sure the Super Bowl and beer go hand in hand. They don't just want you to enjoy drink while watching the game. They want it to feel as essential as the TV itself. And every year, they introduce the idea that the Super Bowl party isn't complete without beer on the table.
Speaker 1:And, honestly, they've done a really good job at this. And I wanna be real. I love a good Super Bowl ad as much as anyone. Comedy is comedy. Entertainment is entertainment.
Speaker 1:And some of these commercials, they really are hilarious. And I'm still laughing sometimes when I think back to the old nineties commercials, the Bud Light, what's up, or the Real Men of Genius where it's just men doing really stupid things. But here's the thing. Beer companies aren't spending millions just to make you laugh. They do it for one reason, to sell more beer.
Speaker 1:And as someone that comes from a marketing background, I can tell you firsthand, when brands invest this kind of money, it's not just about being funny. It's about building brand loyalty, which ultimately means sales. So while I do enjoy watching these ads, I also like to take a step back and ask myself, what are they really trying to sell me? Because these ads aren't just about beer. They're about selling a lifestyle, a feeling, an identity, and they're using some pretty interesting psychology to do it.
Speaker 1:And so in this episode, I'm gonna break down the top five beer commercials, what happened in the ads, the psychology at play, and the tactics that they're using to get you on board with their brand. And, also, this year, one ad completely flipped the script on the whole thing. But before we get into that, let's break down the biggest beer brands that tried to win you over. Okay. The first one up is Michelob Ultra.
Speaker 1:They did a whole scene with pickleball, and this was with Catherine O'Hara and Willem Dafoe, two Hollywood legends, and they're playing in a high energy pickleball tournament against professional athletes like Randy Moss, Sabrina Inescu, and gold medalist Ryan Krauser. But the twist, the older competitors, Katherine and Willem, are hustling their way to victory. And, yeah, it's all in good fun. And at the end, everyone's celebrating, and Catherine and Willem are sitting there, cheersing with pints of Michelob Ultra, of course. So the psychology at play here is beer is a part of a healthy lifestyle.
Speaker 1:So Michelob Ultra has been positioning itself as the beer for active fit people. And by associating with sports and competition, they make it feel like a better choice than other beers. They also add in age is just a number. The ad suggests that Michelob Ultra keeps you active, competitive, and youthful despite whatever age you are. And then they use humor as distraction.
Speaker 1:The ad makes you laugh. You don't stop to question the contradiction that alcohol and athletic performance don't exactly go hand in hand. And their ultimate tactic is that Michelob Ultra wants you to believe that drinking their beer fits into a balanced active lifestyle. It's a way of saying, hey. You can drink and still be healthy, which makes it feel like a guilt free choice.
Speaker 1:Alright. So that's number one. Number two is Stella Artois. This is with David Beckham and Matt Damon. David Beckham is sitting in a pub with his parents, so that's nostalgia right away.
Speaker 1:When they casually drop a bomb, which is that he has an American brother, and so he travels to America and to greet him at the door is Matt Damon. They joke around. They share a moment. And what are they drinking? Stella Artois.
Speaker 1:That's their connection. And at the end, there's a tagline that says, for moments worth more. So the psychology at play is that beer is a social connector, that the entire ad revolves around the idea that beer is how people bond. Then there's status and sophistication. So featuring Beckham and Matt Damon makes Stella Tois feel more like a premium beer, something for people with taste.
Speaker 1:And then there's an emotional connection. The ad makes you feel something, has nostalgia, it has warmth, family bonds, so you associate those emotions with Stella. And the ultimate tactic is that Stella isn't just about selling their beer. They're about selling an experience. They want you to believe that drinking Stella is about a meaningful moment and elevated conversations between family members, even ones that didn't know that they existed.
Speaker 1:And, yeah, it's funny, but this is actually the truth of what's going on when they're designing these ads. Number three is Bud Light. This is the cul de sac party. And at service level, this is funny and, yeah, it is but it's actually the one that probably bothers me the most. If I had to say bother, it does none of them bother me.
Speaker 1:But so you have Post Malone and comedian Shane Gillis that are sitting in their driveway with a lawn chair, and their neighbor complains that his party is totally lame. And so they pop up their solution, bring over a ton of Bud Light, turn it into a cul de sac party that's an instant rager. They've got their lead blowers out, launching beer cans into the air. And then later, Peyton Manning, athlete, shows up with his Bud Light hand. And in the end, you have a tagline, easy to drink, easy to enjoy.
Speaker 1:So the psychology at play is, first, we have FOMO and spontaneity. The message here is wherever Bud Light goes, the fun follows. We also have beer as an invitation. The ad literally states that beer is a metaphor for an invitation, which reinforces the idea that alcohol is the key to socializing. And then we have nostalgia for simpler times.
Speaker 1:You got lawn chairs and backyard parties, a carefree vibe, and Bud Light is selling the feeling of a classic, no pressure, good time. So, ultimately, the tactic is Bud Light wants you to associate beer with being included, and they're reinforcing the idea that bringing a case of Bud Light is the ticket to a great time. Okay. Number four, we have Coors Light, which is the case of the Mondays. So these are animated slots that are going and struggling through a miserable Monday in the background.
Speaker 1:You got music going that's saying Monday, Monday, and the energy's low and, like, everything's going wrong and whatever scene that they're in. You know? If it's a chef, there's a fire, somebody runs into a door, everything's off on their Monday. But then at the end, they have a 12 pack. You know, it's clever play on words.
Speaker 1:It says, do you have a case of the Mondays? And the case is actually a 12 pack. It's time to chill. And the psychology at play here is alcohol as stress relief. The entire ad builds on this bad day and the idea that it comes to an end and the fix for that of a bad day is to chill with a Coors Light.
Speaker 1:And it's a relatable pain point. We've all had these sluggish Mondays feeling that way, so the ad taps into something that is universally felt. And beer is the solution. By linking beer to relaxation, they reinforce the cultural belief that alcohol is how you unwind. So the overall tactic is that Coors Light has positioned itself as the go to beer for relaxation.
Speaker 1:They're selling the idea that their beer isn't about partying. It's about taking the edge off. And then number five, this one was pretty funny, and this was liquid death. And the quote is don't be scared. It's just water.
Speaker 1:So if you haven't seen this, at first glance, it looks like the classic nineties beer commercial. People in authority just like judges and pilots and office workers, and they're all chugging drinks. And the drink is breaking through, you know, walls of ice like the old beer commercials used to, but it's actually just liquid death, which is water or flavored water or tea. And the music's rowdy. The vibe's rebellious.
Speaker 1:And then the tagline drops, don't be scared. It's just water. So the psychology at play is it's a parody on beer ads. The entire joke is that we've been conditioned to think that drinking should be beer and not water. It's challenging social norms.
Speaker 1:The ad forces you to think, why is it weird to see people drinking water like this? And then shock and humor by flipping beer ad tropes. Liquid death makes water feel rebellious and cool. Pretty smart from a marketing standpoint to do that with water. So the overall tactic is liquid death exposes how ridiculous alcohol marketing really is by making a water commercial that looks exactly like a beer ad, and they highlight how deeply ingrained these messages are.
Speaker 1:Alright. So that's all the ads, and I'm gonna leave you with a final thought, and that is the beer industry's playbook. Every single one of these ads follows the same psychological formula. One, beer equals social connection. You're not just drinking.
Speaker 1:You're bonding. Two, beer equals stress relief. It's always framed as a way to relax. Three, beer equals fun and spontaneity. If you're drinking, you're having a good time.
Speaker 1:And four, beer equals status and identity. The brand you choose says something about you. And liquid death, well, they turn the whole thing upside down. So my challenge to you is next time you see a beer ad, ask yourself, what feeling is it trying to sell me? And is it actually true?
Speaker 1:And most importantly, do I really need a drink to achieve those benefits, those feelings, and those associations? Or am I just being trained to think that I do? Alright. That's today's episode. I hope you enjoyed it.
Speaker 1:By all means, realize that I am going super deep on these. And, yeah, I just like to watch them and laugh too. But I also know deep down that it's important to point these things out so that we really know what's going on. Until next time, I hope you have a wonderful week. Again, I'd love to hear your feedback on your thoughts on doing more of these episodes.
Speaker 1:You can send me an email, mike@sunnyside.co. And, again, it would mean the world to me if you could leave a review if you got any benefit from any of the episodes. And until next time, cheers to your mindful drinking journey. This podcast is brought to you by Sunnyside, the number one alcohol moderation platform. And if you could benefit from drinking a bit less, head on over to sunnyside.co to get a free fifteen day trial.
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