Buh-Bye, Cute Puppy in Budweiser’s Super Bowl Ad Who Didn’t Sell Beer

By now you’ve probably forgotten about most of the commercials that aired during last February’s Super Bowl game.

…Except for that “Lost Puppy” one with the yellow Lab. That’s right, this one.

The problem is, that commercial — which was voted the No. 1 viewer favorite in just about every poll — probably ended up selling more Kleenex tissue than Budweiser beer.

That’s why, sadly, there won’t be a puppy in the Budweiser commercial that airs during Super Bowl 50 on Feb. 7, 2016.

“Budweiser aired two very different spots in last February’s Super Bowl, and we learned that content focused on the quality of our beer was most effective in generating sales,” said Jorn Socquet, vice president of marketing for Anheuser-Busch, in a statement sent to Adweek.

“Starting with our ‘Brewed the Hard Way’ ad in last year’s game and throughout 2015, our marketing has featured a bold, confident voice that speaks directly to Budweiser drinkers, and sales trends have improved as a result. We’ll continue this tone in Super Bowl 50, and we’re excited to explore new creative territory.”

Borrrr-ing! And what’s especially unfair is that Budweiser has been featuring Clydesdale horses in its Super Bowl commercials for decades — yet the company gave viewers only two measly opportunities, in 2014 and 2015, to establish a connection between cute puppies and buying beer.

I’m fairly certain that if the puppy could stick around for Super Bowls 50 through 60, viewers would successfully make that association and Budweiser beer sales would skyrocket.

 

So, have those cute Clydesdales been given the ad ax as well?

Nope. They will “most certainly make an appearance,” Socquet assured Adweek. Bless those beer-sales-generating beasts.

I know I’m not alone in wanting the puppy back. In an Adweek poll last month asking if people wanted the puppy to appear in Budweiser’s Super Bowl 50 commercial, a whopping 75 percent answered, heck, yeah.

Many advertising industry experts also disagree with Budweiser’s decision to dump the cute doggie.

“The commercials that usually win the popularity contests are the ones that have recurring characters and an ongoing story,” Scott Davis, chief growth officer at brand consultancy Prophet, whatever that means, told Adweek.

But apparently Anheuser-Busch doesn’t care about what industry experts or we consumers think. For that reason, on Feb. 7, I’ll watch the game (“Puppy Bowl XII,” that is) while enjoying a nice, frosty non-Budweiser beverage.