Born The Hard Way

Every year during the month of February there is a huge sporting event held called the Super Bowl. The Super Bowl is known for being the most-viewed program in television history. Besides the entertaining halftime shows and the intense touchdowns, what’s the best part of Super Bowl Sunday? The commercials. During Super Bowl LI, Budweiser, a very popular beer company, aired a commercial explaining the background and start-up of Budweiser.

The commercial tells the story of one of the founders, Adolphus Busch, and his immigration from Germany to America to follow his dream to brew beer.

After moving to America, Adolphus Busch arrives in St. Louis where Busch and Eberhard Anheuser meet. They then team up to create Budweiser. The commercial ends with the quote, “When nothing stops your dream. This is the beer we drink.” This commercial uses an emotional but touching approach. Immigrants who have traveled to America with a dream could relate. With the combination of an interesting storyline, outstanding visuals, and perfect airing time Budweiser was able to produce a very informative, exciting commercial to engage in.

(Kathy 2017)

One of the things the Super Bowl is known for is the creative commercials. It is the time of the year where hundreds of brands create eye-catching advertisements and air them during the breaks of the game. In 2017 the beer brand Budweiser aired a commercial titled “Born The Hard Way.” This ad starts off with Adolphus Busch sitting in a bar and another man says to him “you don’t look like you’re from around here.

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” The commercial then flashes back to when Busch traveled from Germany to America and all the hardships he faced on the way. On his way to American he endured a rigorous adventure including having to abandon ship. During his voyage, he is asked “why to leave Germany” his answer was “I want to brew beer.” Following this, the next scene shows Busch arriving in St.Louis where he is sitting at a bar in between two men. One of men next to him says to the bartender “Beer for my friend please” This man was Eberhard Anheuser. Busch thanks Anheuser for the drink and starts to show him his journal of sketches he had been working on and says “the next time this is the beer we drink.

” The two team up to create the beer brand we all know and sometimes love, Budweiser. The commercial ends with the quote “When nothing stops your dream. This is the beer we drink.” Budweiser uses their background on how it all began as a way to advertise and show its more than just beer. This ad can be a prime example to never give up on your dreams. Budweiser started with just some ideas written up in a journal and has turned into a million-dollar company. This commercial can be relatable for other immigrants who have also traveled long and far to follow their dreams. It is very intriguing and inspiring to all.

Budweiser portrays their story in an emotional feel good way. For many years people have been immigrating to American to follow their American dream and give themselves a better life. With that being said, it is easy for many Americans to relate to this commercial because they have encountered the same or similar struggles. When viewing this commercial Americans are able to think back to a time and reflect on their own memories relating to this topic. This commercial is a great representation of how good things can come to those who put in the hard work and dedication. Although rewards don’t come so easy sometimes if you work hard enough you can get where you need to be. This is shown in the ad when Busch says he is traveling to America to pursue his dream of brewing beer. Everyone wants to be successful and happy. Budweiser has proven that anything can be possible when you put your mind to something even with the odds against you.

On January 20th, 2017 Donald Trump’s presidency began. Donald Trump is known for having it out for immigrants and those wanting to immigrate to America. He has discussed building a border wall preventing immigrants from coming to America. (Kohn 2019) On February 5th 2107 the Budweiser commercial “Born The Hard Way” aired. Ironically, this commercial gives a more positive outlook on immigrants. Despite all the negativity, Budweiser did a remarkable job showing the hardship some face just trying to pursue a better life for themselves and their families. Budweiser shows that success cannot be discriminated against and we all should have equal opportunity. In the commercial Busch is walking through a crowd of people and someone yells to him “you’re not wanted here!” “go back home!” Even when the odds are all against him he chose to not let it bother him and let his work speak for itself. This is a lesson all Americans can connect to.

The overall mood of this commercial is somewhat dark and gloomy. The music used does a great job of portraying the mood throughout the entire commercial. The visual experiences used are very realistic. All information presented makes it very easy to follow the storyline. Budweiser successfully intertwined one of the founder’s stories and visuals to create a successful commercial. By Budweiser explaining their story people may be more drawn to the humbling start-up of their company.

Budweiser did a phenomenal job portraying an immigrant’s outlook on the American dream. This commercial is very inspiring and engaging to all. It gives great insight on the background of the company and where everything began. The audience many have not known all the facts behind Budweiser, including one of the founders immigrated to America from Germany. By being more in touch with their audience it allows them to promote their business more. When being more connected more people will be likely to purchase their products. When combining an interesting story line, outstanding visuals, and perfect airing time Budweiser was able to produce a very informative, exciting commercial to engage in.

Works Cited

1. A., Kathy. “Budweiser (Anheuser-Busch) 2017 Super Bowl Commercial (Subtitles).” YouTube, YouTube, 1 Feb. 2017, www.youtube.com/watch?v=_o9FpcHg8_k.
2. Kohn, Sally. “9 Facts You Should Know about the Border before Trump Addresses the Nation.” USA Today, Gannett Satellite Information Network, 8 Jan. 2019, www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2019/01/08/facts-donald-trumps-border-wall-address-nation-immigration-shutdown-column/2503981002/.