Logos in the Ads of Beer

All advertisements must use logos to appeal to any viewer, to appeal to the logic of the targeted audience and essentially get into the viewer's head. Beer advertisements are no exception to this trend, and logos can be seen in all of the sources here. First of all, Budweiser's advertising slogan is "King of Beers," appealing to the reader or viewer to have them assume that it must be the best beer, or otherwise it wouldn't be king. It sounds silly and strangely worded, but I believe that is the intent behind the ads. The Bud Light ad with the swear jar uses logos in a similar way: people want this beer so badly, and are so excited to hear that the money from the swear jar goes toward Bud Light, that they are willing to swear in every sentence to contribute money towards the beer. Given the excitement of the entire office towards this beer, it is assumed that the beer is just that good. The Budweiser video ad from the 1960's also uses logos, by bragging about how they put their ingredients right on the label, like no other beer does. Since they are talking about how they put the ingredients right there for you to see, logos is used by assuming that they have nothing to hide, and the display of ingredients makes the beer more distinguished and worth drinking. Logos is consistently used in advertisements, and beer ads make use of logos to convince the viewer that their beer is the best, for various reasons.

Budweiser Ads in the 2000's

Three woman laying on a towel in bathing suits. If that doesn't catch anyone' attention in an ad, then I don't know what will. The ad is obviously promoting the beer in a provocative way that would attract a certain audience, this time young males, to drink their beer. The three girls symbolize the sexual aspect of life and how their poses are linked to advertising Budweiser. It gives the audience a false sense that if they drink the beer, they will be able to win the girls over and be awesome. The ad also gives a vibe of relaxation and a good time, which is always related to beach or poolside settings. They are enjoying the sun and water while cooling themselves off with Budweiser. The girls are pretty and have what the world defines as the "perfect swimsuit body". As I've mention in an earlier post about present-day beer ads, the main focus for ads nowadays is desire and anything that can be associated with the feeling. Seeing these girls laying as they are, another type of sensation that compared to 1960's ads, is more sexualized and forbidden. 

Budweiser Ad and Style

The Budweiser advertisement from the 1960s is a printed ad with a very distinct style. When you first look at the ad, your eyes are immediately drawn to the beer that is being poured from the ordinary beer can into a more luxurious glass cup. You then look at who is pouring the beer, and are then drawn to the man and woman who take up the majority of the ad. These two figures are close together, representing a traditional, familial relationship. The way the ad is designed represents its two main ideas: the importance of the traditional family lifestyle, and the desire for luxury. Even the words on the ad reflect these ideas. Directly under the Budweiser name it says "where there's life...there's Bud" which suggests the use of this product in everyday life. In the right corner is another written excerpt that beings with "the King's credentials," suggesting royalty and luxury. Advertisements are designed in strategic ways that use important ideals of the time to draw an audience in. Based on the style and composition of this advertisement, the ad is suggesting that the ideals of a luxurious lifestyle and the importance of the family were very important to the American public in the 1960s.

Ethos and the 1960's Budweiser Commercial

The Budweiser commercial from the 1960's features Joan Kemp. Kemp was a very prolific model, actress, and director during the 60's era. By having Kemp as the main element of the commercial, Budweiser is able to appeal to the ethical values of the audience. At the time, onlookers believed that drinking Budweiser was trendy due to the idea that Joan Kemp drank their beer. In the video, she is singing a jazzy tune about the special taste of the beer. Since she was an icon during the time, the audience believed that Budweiser was something shared amongst the stars. In addition, Kemp appears to be in a light mood. The images of a beautiful, happy and well-known woman in a Budweiser commercial sends a message to the audience that the beer can put them in high spirits and make them feel as though they have something in common with celebrities. Therefore, the credibility of Budweiser is evident to the audience due to the company's use of Joan Kemp in the advertisement.

Sources: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uAPGIKOaRmk

Beer Photo Advertising Audience Analysis

For this post I will be focusing on the audience in beer advertisements once again, but I will be looking more at the photographic advertisements used in the 1960's and ones used in more recent times. The photographs, or ones used as posters or magazine pages, convey messages differently than the video ads do, but still use nearly the same tactics and show the same evolution in marketing techniques to their audience. 
The ad from the 60's for Budweiser with the women hanging over the shoulder of the man shows the man holding work tools and almost seeming surprised, but very pleased, that the woman is pouring this beer for him. The woman looks almost unnaturally happy, and seems to be pouring the beer to say, "Here, relax, have this," surprising the man in what seems to be the middle of his work. The case can definitely be made that the portrayal of the woman and her role in this ad is controversial, as it seems to objectify her, but not to the point of the ad from a magazine in the 2000's. The 2000's ad displays three women in bathing suits, that lying together put together the Budweiser logo. The 2000's ad shows a drastic change in the attempt to appeal to a certain audience, that of males that would be reading the magazine. I would guess that this picture appeared in a Sports Illustrated issue or ESPN Magazine, which appeals to a demographic of young men who would be interested in sports. The ad from the 60's does attempt to appeal to men, with their portrayal of the beer being a way to relax, but the image from the 2000's is a much more blatant attempt to appeal to men, and also does not appeal to a sort of relaxing atmosphere, but rather an atmosphere of having a good time.

Bud Light and Style

The 2010 Bud Light commercial had a modern and comical style. The commercial starts off in a modern-day office setting: cubicles, ringing telephones, computers and busy workers.
"What's that?", asks a man walking by his co-worker's desk.
"That's a swear jar", she replies casually.
Many people in the 20th century are very familiar with 'swear jars', but the woman goes on to explain that every time a person in the office swears they have to put money in the jar - an exercise meant to prevent people from frequently letting things "slip out". Once the jar was full, she went on to explain, they would use the money to get something for the office (which seems like positive reinforcement for negative behavior).  "****ing awesome", the man responds immediately following her explanation, and proceeds to add his payment to the jar. Viewers can immediately sense the playfulness of the commercial because it's obvious the jar is going to be used for the exact opposite of its designed purpose. The remainder of the commercial is full of clips where other workers around the office swear left and right, doing so intentionally. There was an incident that took place in a meeting, where a woman asked a man to borrow a pen. The man would not loan his pen to the woman until she asked for it properly - by swearing first.
The commercial was smart in the sense that it was so relatable to such a large audience. Every day people could identify with the humor whether they worked in an office or not. The situation -being so common and farcical- made it entertaining to watch. While making the audience laugh, the overall message was still present: people want, and will do anything to get, a can of Bud.

The Budweiser Ad and Pathos

This ad for Budweiser beer appeals to Pathos in many ways. Starting from the saying, “where there’s life…there’s Bud,” this ad presents the beer as a necessity to a good life. Everything about this ad then supports the idea of what a good life would look like, and therefore it is appealing to people’s emotions and imaginations. The typical husband-wife relationship is pictured, with the man doing his work and the woman pouring the beer for him. The fact that the woman is pouring the beer from a can into a nice glass is also an appeal to pathos, because it implies that by drinking this beer, the couple is living a luxurious lifestyle. The woman is also showing affection to the man while he sits looking content with himself. Everything about the picture portrays happiness, thereby suggesting to the audience that drinking Budweiser will create happiness and an overall good life.

The Budweiser Ad and Ethos

We tend to believe people who we respect. One of the main central focuses of argumentation is to give off an impression to the reader or listener that you are someone worth listening to, likeable, and worthy of respect. Ethos, ethical appeal, is conveyed through the 1960’s Budweiser ad, therefore, making people believe that the product is worth buying. In the image, you see a middle-aged man sitting at a table with a hammer in his hand. He seems to be fixing an object that lies broken on the table. The first thought that comes to the mind of the audience is that the man is strong and powerful. Behind the man is a woman, who the view may assume is the man’s wife. She is pouring the man a glass of the Budweiser Beer. In addition, she appears to be in a great mood as she tends to her mate. The picture of a strong, happy, and married man in a Budweiser ad gives off the vibe that the beer can make life more enjoyable or even calm nerves. The happy couple gives off the feeling or morality. Therefore, they exude the image of high credibility.

Present-Day Beer Ads

Every one in the present-day world associates beer with watching Football games, parties, tailgates, and so many other activities. If you think about it, beer ads and commercials are everywhere announcing their product and promoting concerts, sports, and basically every possible event they can afford. The most known way of beer announcements is during The SuperBowl. Every year this event is known to have the best, most thought out commercials Americans see year-round. Recently, humor has been in the center of these, giving a new perspective towards how people react to jokes. In the 2010 SuperBowl commercial specials, Bud Light aired a commercial called "The Swear Jar". The name gives enough explanation about what goes on. The office scene gives it a familiar face since virtually every American works or knows someone with a desk job. Swearing in the workplace is not acceptable, but by doing so in the commercial, it gives Americans a sense of taboo. Using those words is a mix between being acceptable and frowned upon. Considering them to be somewhat forbidden makes people want to use them more, which in turn makes them want to try the beer related to the words. By airing it on national television, it makes it acceptable in a way and it allows people to think that it's completely normal in our society. The main focus for ads nowadays is desire and anything that can be associated with the feeling. Wanting to do something that is supposed to be wrong or not acceptable is what makes commercials appealing to the present audience, especially those who are in their target range including teenagers and young adults. Rhetoric is present in every commercial, ad, or propaganda we see and "The Swear Jar" commercial for Bud Light is no different.

The Emotional Appeal

The 1958 poster ad for Budweiser displaying a woman serving beer to a man (presumably husband and wife), evokes a feeling of tradition and traditional values. Around the 1960's, the idea of women being subservient to men was a perpetual image. The wife is not only serving beer to her husband, but happy to do so - indicated by the cheerful smile on her face. However, others may argue this image is a positive one, displaying a well balanced relationship between and man and woman.

The husband is hard at work on the job in front of him. He is frustrated with his lack of progress and the wife is pouring him Budweiser to cheer him up. The top of the ad reads: "Budweiser: Where there's life... There's Bud." This text says to the audience, "Whenever life gets you down, Budweiser is there". The ad builds a sort of relationship between "Bud" and potential consumers by using (what was) a modern day couple in a situation people could relate to at the time. The advertisers crafted this endorsement with the intended audience in mind, and what would appeal to that audience the most on a personal level.

Rhetorical Situation

Although we are looking at two ads selling the same product (beer), because these ads are from two different time periods it is very important to look at the rhetorical situation. The Budweiser ad from the 1960s portrays a man and a woman, with the woman pouring beer for the man while the man is holding a tool and working on a mechanical project. The combination of both a man and woman shows the importance of the family, however the woman pouring the drink for her husband implies that she has an inferior role to him. In addition, the fact that the man is holding a hammer supports the male stereotype at the time of being the dominant figure in the workplace. All of these images reflect the social norms of the 1960s, but they do not support major cultural movements like the women’s rights movement. We can see this because in trying to sell their product, Budweiser is sticking with the traditional woman’s role as a housewife rather than the newer idea of woman’s independence.

In the 2010 Bud light ad there is no focus on the family or the roles of women verses men in society, and this is because there is a completely different rhetorical situation. Firstly, this ad is a commercial rather than a printed ad, because now it was more likely that the company will reach people through television rather than printed forums. The commercial itself portrays a workplace that has both men and women who are equal. Rather than focusing on gender roles in society, this ad concentrates on the people saying curse words, something that’s equally accepted and condemned in todays society. Rather than focusing on the importance of the family, an ideal that was prominent in the 1960s, this ad replaces the family with the workplace. Nowadays there has been less of an emphasis placed on the family, and the relationship that people used to look for in a family can now be found among coworkers in the workplace. The differences in the ways that these 2 companies are trying to target their relative audiences proves a changing rhetorical situation from the 1960s until now.

Beer Ad Audience Analysis

All ads have specific intended audiences whom advertisers try to appeal to in order for them to buy products. Beer ads, in this case the ads of Budweiser and Bud Light, are no exception. The audience for these beer ads has changed over the years. For example, in the 1960's, as seen in the commercial, the ad seems to be directed more toward a wide- reaching audience, making the beer appear to be classy and something for everyone. Given this, the ad still appeals mostly to men, using the attractive woman singing and the slow music in a use of pathos to appeal to the minds of males. It also makes the beer out to be very sophisticated; something you drink when you sit down to have a fancy meal with people. It does not necessarily appeal to the party or bar atmosphere, but more of a "sit down, relax, and enjoy yourself" message. The picture ad from the 60's also implies the same thing. The ad has a message like "take a break from work and relax with this beer," mostly appealing to males with the girl hanging over the guy's shoulder and pouring his drink.
In the more modern example, with the Bud Light super bowl commercial, the intended audience is definitely a young male demographic. The commercial was also played during the Super Bowl, for which the audience is mostly a young male one. The audience for the commercial lines up with the program's audience perfectly by no accident, and appeals once again using logos to make a memorable, recognizable commercial. When people see the beer, they think of the funny commercial they saw for it, and are more likely to buy the beer with a funnier ad. The latest commercial also appeals greatly to the party message, as seen in every other commercial for the product. It should also be pointed out that in this modern commercial, it is very visible that every person in the ad really wants this beer more than anything else, an appeal to logos not present in the older commercial, implying in a way that, "everyone wants this beer really badly, so it must be amazing and be fun!" The modern picture ad is the most blatant appeal to men, as the bathing-suit clad women are meant to have men remember the ad and purchase the beer. The modern ads are up the right alley for the intended audience of men, using common humor instead of a sophisticated feel in the advertisement of beer.