Bud Light exchanges fun for ingredients. Good luck!

A few years ago I read that someone in marketing at Bud Light said: "Beer drinking is fun, so we think our ads should be fun."  That works for me.

But I guess he has moved on, because Bud Light has just launched a new campaign focused on their ingredients.  One of the commercials positions the brand as an alternative to craft beers, which is an interesting idea.  But it's still all about the ingredients.

You can look at the ads here...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iQZzzs7iOX0

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GGUoxBV0Tck

Last fall, Taster's Choice launched a new campaign with a similar ingredients focus.  My students weren't impressed by it.  You can check out their comments here...

http://pjlehrer.blogspot.com/2016/10/will-new-campaign-for-tasters-choice.html

Unfortunately the commercial is no longer available. I'm sure it's no coincidence.

Brown, L. (2017, August 10)  Bud Light's new Ads Seek To Turn Around 'Underdog' Image.  stltoday.com   Retrieved August 10, 207, from

http://www.stltoday.com/business/local/bud-light-s-new-ads-seek-to-turn-around-underdog/article_a3837fc5-ee11-5c30-8fdf-d92d5b5de383.html

Will the new campaign for Taster's Choice stop sales erosion?

Amid reports that sales for instant coffee in the U.S. have been declining steadily since 2012, Nescafe has decided to redesign their Taster's Choice packaging and launch a campaign reaching out to budget-minded Millennials.  Since company research showed that 40% of consumers are drinking less coffee because it is too expensive to buy outside the home, they believe they have an opportunity to convince then to switch.  (Lukovitz, 2016)

Of course first they have to convince people that their product isn't inferior.  Here's the commercial they hope will do it...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bytLhKX8Sgg

Looking at it I couldn't help but think about a successful campaign (10% sales increase) the brand ran back in the early 90's which took an entirely different approach.  Here's an ad from that campaign...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VXpQxnkf2l0

So, what do you think?  Will the new campaign be successful?  If so, why?  What do you think of the soap style campaign from 1992?  Do you think a similar approach might be more successful than the new campaign?  If so, why?

Lukovitz, K. (2016, October 13)  New Campaign Aims To Reinvigorate Nescafe Taster's Choice.  mediapost.com.  Retrieved October 13, 2016, from

http://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/286690/new-campaign-aims-to-reinvigorate-nescafe-tasters.html?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_content=headline&utm_campaign=97243

DeWolf, R. (1992, December 2)  Taster's Choice: A Never-ending Saga Sexy Commercials Put Spice In Coffee Sales.  philly.com.  Retrieved October 13, 2016, from

http://articles.philly.com/1992-12-02/business/25994312_1_instant-coffee-coffee-category-sophisticated-coffee