Anheuser-Busch InBev decided to back Bud Light Platinum, which was set to debut in early 2012, with not one but two Super Bowl ads, pouring major money into the brewer's biggest beer launch in at least two years.
The brand extension was less a response to the burgeoning popularity of craft beers, which A-B InBev would tackle head on in 2015 with Super Bowl XLIX’s “Brewed the Hard Way,” than a more upscale, higher-alcohol pitch to drinkers. And the 6.0% alcohol content, compared with 4.2% for regular Bud Light, gets a quick but prominent display in one close-up during “Factory,” which essentially depicts the product being born. “Work” introduces the human element, with suggested servings of Bud Light Platinum among coworkers and friends at what turns into a party.
Both spots were by Translation, which handled Bud Light Platinum account through 2014 and emphasized music in its marketing, something you can hear suggested in the smart soundtrack choices here. For A-B InBev, Platinum replaced Bud Light Golden Wheat, which was being discontinued after a pricey launch of its own in 2009 that included a takeover of all national ad time during one “Saturday Night Live” episode.
BRAND: Bud Light Platinum
YEAR: 2012
AGENCY: Translation
SUPERBOWL: XLVI
QUARTER AIRED: Q1