This Bud Light ad shows people having a good time while drinking Bud Light. This is type of ad is not a new concept. American society has developed social activity’s where drinking is present. To see this, we look at the ad itself and how it works to make their product appealing; while pressing home this message. There is understanding their goal of making their product appealing. The size of the beer market in America shows the scale of drinking in the US. But then we see the negative affect of Alcohol promotion as seen in underage drinking and the dangers it causes. But first we must look at the audience that this ad is targeting.

Looking at the ad in question appears to be targeting those in the 20 to 30 year old age bracket based on how the ad features a group of 20 to 30 year olds having a good time at a bar drinking Bud Light. This age group is a very social one based on how it is comprised of collage aged individuals; as well as a low number of those in this age bracket having an establish family. So, it is rather effective for the ad to target the pathos of this age group in how there is that desire for socialization and to have fun. This desire to fit in and have a good time can have a significant effect on the viewer of the ad. With this age group, there are also other influences that support drinking as a social activity for this age group. This can be seen in tv shows like “Friends” or through movies like “Animal house”. There is also college, where in some cases many social events such as parties or sporting events, like tailgates, involve alcohol. To get a better understanding of how the ad attracts this age group we need to look at the ad itself.

When we look at the ad we see 5 individuals (4 women and 1 man) drinking Bud Light at a bar having a good time.  Then superimposed over this scene, in large white letters “Are we having Bud Light yet?” with a horizontal bottle of Bud Light acting as the Bud Light text in the sentence. The bottle in this ad is very interesting in how, unlike other alcoholic beverage ads, this ad has the drink presented horizontally. This is done to grab the attention of a potential customer being how it is strange to see a drink presented in this manner. The bottle also has this white highlight around it almost like a light glow giving the beer a more aesthetically pleasing look. Following this trend, the beer inside the bottle has an amber hue that is exaggerated compared to the real beer’s coloring; making it appear to be more tasteful. Furthmore the bottle has droplets that implies it is fresh out of a refrigerator. This implies that it is a cool drink which is again more appealing to a potential customer. The purpose of all these visual stimulates is to promote their product as able to be used for fun but that their product is also delicious. Then below this in white text but in a rather small font “With just 110 calories, Bud Light is the choice for light, refreshing, thirst quenching fun.” This text is further solidifying Bud Lights claim that their product can be used for fun while simultaneously being delicious. The point of stating that their product has 110 calories is to try and suggest that it is also a healthy product. This healthy aspect is supposed to be more appealing to some of the potential customers. But why would an ad work to show that their product is delicious?

This ad is one of a thousand different beer ads in America put out by many different companies. This means that companies are in a constant struggle to entice potential customers that their beer is better than the beer from another company. We see this vying for customers right in the slogan for this ad: “Are we having Bud Light yet?”. This is implying that the people in the ad are not really having a good time until they start drinking Bud Light. This is because Bud Light is “light, refreshing” and “thirst quenching” as opposed to other possible beer options. All this work has a dual purpose of making the beer look delicious and more pleasing than other beers. This is important to underscore the concept that drinking is a social activity.

We see drinking in various different social settings from parties, sporting events, small social gatherings and holidays. There is also drinking seen at weddings, family gatherings and in many meals. Alcohol is all around us in America with beer alone being a $105.9 billion industry as of 2015 in the U.S (Watson). Bud Light is aware of this as shown in this ad, appealing to pathos with the 5 individuals having a good time the background drinking Bud Light. When we see so many others socializing with alcohol it supports this ad’s message that their product can be used for socializing. But when Bud Light is targeting the 20 to 30 year old age group they must recognize that it is also seen by those under the legal drinking age. 

 In 2015, 7.7 million people ages 12 to 20 reported having at least one drink within the month this survey was conducted. 58 percent of fulltime college students (ages 18-22) reported drinking within the month (NIAAA). These numbers are significant in terms of what damage has been cause by them. With those at a young age whose brains have not fully developed alcohol, can severely damage mental growth. Along with this there is the danger of alcohol poisoning, because other parts of the body such as the liver may not yet be fully developed, leading to deaths in youths. Underage drinking also has a distinct link to sexual assault as seen with college students reporting 97,000 cases of sexual assault involving alcohol, plus those that go unreported (NIAAA). In our society we promote drinking as a fun and social activity that is seen in multiple forms of media. Those under the legal drinking age see this and associate alcohol with socializing and fun. It is important to show that alcohol is not the only way to socialize and have fun in order to help try and avoid more damage.  

In conclusion, we have seen the significance of the audience of 20 to 30 years olds who are targeted by this ad. Then there is how the Ad did this through enticing visuals and text that supported their claim that Bud Light is delicious and fun. Beer is big business in America, the beer companies’ advertising must become socially responsible considering the large number of underage drinkers reached by these ads. 
