Bud Light and Wieden & Kennedy use the ghost of '80s ad icon Spuds MacKenzie to help begin a campaign arguing that the brand brings friends together, replacing the slogan "Raise One to Right Now" with "Famous Among Friends."
Spuds burst into America's pop-culture consciousness in a 1987 Super Bowl ad by DDB Needham Chicago narrated by "Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous" host Robin Leach ("Party Animal"). Consumers embraced the mascot, but detractors argued that he appealed too much to underage drinkers, so Spuds marketing wrapped up by the end of the decade. The mascot's return for 2017, on the 30th anniversary of its Super Bowl debut, was a one-off.
Bud Light released "Ghost Spuds," featuring the voice of Carl Weathers, the Thursday before the game.
Director: Super Bowl veteran Bryan Buckley. Production company: Hungry Man. Executive producer: Mino Jarjoura. Producer: Matt Lefebvre. Director of photography: Scott Henriksen.
Executive creative director: Karl Lieberman. Creative directors: Erwin Federizo, Brandon Henderson. Art director: Mark Potoka. Copywriter: Matt Spicer. Head of integrated production: Nick Setounski. Executive producer: Temma Shoaf. Assistant producer: Jordan Leinen. Strategist: Nick Docherty. Account management: Price Manford, Brandon Pracht, Lauren Wilson.
Editorial: Rock Paper Scissors. Editor: Carlos Arias. Post executive producer: Eve Kornblum. Post producer: Melati Pohan. Editorial assistant: Anne Laure Dhooghe.
VFX/color: The Mill. Executive producer: Verity Grantham. Producer: Clairellen Wallin. VFX creative director: Corey Brown. 2D lead: Siro Valente. 3D lead: Christian Nielsen. 2D team: David Forcada, Warren Gebhardt, Molly Intersimone, Ting Jung-Hsu, Dae Yoon Kang, Heather Kennedy, Sung Eun Moon, Krissy Nordella, Jeff Robins, Andre Vidal. 3D ream: Adam Dewhirst, Ren Hsien-Hsu, Christine Kim, Justin Kurtz, Jackie Liao, Ross Scroble, John Wilson. Matte painting: Cedric Menard. Production coordinator: Kate Aspell.
Head of color/grade artist: Ferg McCall. Color assistants: Daniel Moisoff, Nate Seymour, Zack Wilpon. Color producer: Natalie Westerfield. Color coordinator: Elizabeth Nagle.
Mix: Sound Lounge. Mixer: Tom Jucarone, Glen Landrum. Executive producer: Mike Gullo. Producer: Liana Rosenberg. Music: Tonefarmer. Creative director: Raymond Loewy. Composers: Daniel Sammartano, Casey Smith. Producers: Elizabeth Munoz, Tiffany Senft. Sound design: Company Jafbox Sound. Composer: Joseph Fraioli.
Animation: Brand New School. Creative director: Brumby Boylston. Head of production: Amy Russo.
BRAND: Bud Light
YEAR: 2017
AGENCY: Wieden & Kennedy
SUPERBOWL: LI
