Near Shibuya in Tokyo (Japan), there is a
statue of a dog named Hachiko. In the 1920s, the dog would greet his
owner at the station at the end of every day. One day, the owner died suddenly
and never made it home. But Hachiko spent the next nine years, until his own
death, returning to the site every day, hoping to see his owner.
A similar story of a
dog's unceasing loyalty is the subject of Budweiser's responsible drinking ad,
which rolled out for Global Be(er) Responsible Day, which Bud conceived to talk
about drinking and driving.
The
spot, directed by Gus Black, a lovely commercial (videos).
It is not the usual route for adverts making a statement about drink
driving, but this Budweiser commercial has been already been viewed more than
seven million times on YouTube.
Dog lovers will get a
tear in their eye, as they do with all of Bud's excellent dog-based tear-jerker
marketing. (In some ways, it's kind of a sequel to "Puppy Love," the brand's world-beating 2014 Super
Bowl commercial.)
Showing the bond between a young man
and his adorable dog, the advert focuses on worried loved ones when someone
doesn't make it home from a night out.
Entitled 'Friends Are Waiting', the
commercial features a montage showing the bond between man and dog, before
showing him leaving the house with a pack of beer and the words: 'I'll see you
later buddy'.
The footage then cuts to
the dog owner opening the door the next morning and being warmly welcomed by
his pet dog. He says: 'I'm sorry, I decided I shouldn't drive home last night,
I stayed at Dave's.'
The caption at the end of the
Budweiser advert reads: 'Next time you go out, be sure to make a plan to get
home safely. Your friends are counting on you.'
Brian Perkins, Vice President of
marketing at Budweiser told Ad Age: 'Friendship, camaraderie and enjoying great
times are at the heart of Budweiser's most popular campaigns, and this video maintains
that tradition but with an unexpected twist.
'Budweiser is known for connecting
with beer drinkers in memorable ways, and our efforts to promote responsible
drinking through this video are no exception.'
‘Don’t Drink and
Drive' Someone
is waiting for you.
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