Make Beer, Not War
Posted on November 7, 2007 - Filed Under Cool Ideas
So Miller Lite is apparently trying to start another beer war with Budweiser. They released an ad that made fun of the Bud superbowl spot (click here).
What I really like about Anheuser-Bush (the company that owns the Bud brand) is how they responded. They took the proverbial high road.
They took out a full-page ad, with a large-type heading: “Keep up the bad work, Miller Beer. It’s getting a lot of good things done.”
The text: “Apparently, Miller Beer believes they have to say negative things about our brands to sell their beer. At Budweiser, we’re positive there’s a better way of doing things. In fact, we’re committed to creating something positive out of their recent negative advertising.
“Their latest attack? Our wagon-riding dalmatian. Our response? A donation to a number of animal rescue groups across
“For over 130 years, Budweiser has believed in doing things right. We’re not going to stop now.”
The foot of the page features a cuddly puppy, the Budweiser logo and a tagline: “Doing things the right way.”
Man, I love puppies. And beer. I’m sorry … I get distracted when I write about beer. Anyways, I love this response. It’s like when you’re at a party and chatting up some people and some drunk guy drops into the conversation and tries to impress everyone by insulting you. Sure, you could fire one back, but that’s dropping you down to his level. Or you could talk about the monks’ protests in
When you insult someone back, consumers have to pick a side. When you take the moral high road, there is no choice for the consumer to make. They’re going with you. Let’s be honest, nobody wants to admit that they’re friends with the drunk a-hole at the party.
- Christian
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