Buick and Budweiser- Selling Success and Patriotism

Buick and Budweiser- Selling Success and Patriotism

Television commercials go beyond merely informing consumers about products or services: these advertisements sell their abstract ideas that tend to be valued in American society, such as success and patriotism. Two examples are outstanding commercials produced by the car manufacturer General Motors for their Buick cars, and the brewery Anheuser-Bush for their beer, Budweiser. While David Barry, in his essay, “Red, White, and Beer,” humorously describes the connection between commercials and values, Rita Dove and Marie Winn, in “Loose Ends” and “Television Addiction” respectively, are about an addiction to television and how television creates unbelievable ideal of a reality. Analyses of these two television advertisements, not only make a connection between their products or services and the abstract ideas of success and patriotism, but in the process, also sell the ideas as important American values in a powerful manner accomplished only by television, because of people’s addiction to it.

The General Motor’s car commercial features the professional golfer, Tiger Woods, on the golf course. He makes golf shots that seem impossible such as making a shot from a suspended bridge. Also, he is surrounded by famous people. While he is making these amazing golf shots, there is always a Buick vehicle at the background, and in some cases, Tiger Woods uses a Buick as a golf cart. The commercial has no plot, however, the visuals are stunning and the Buick is always prominently displayed in the picture. The fame of Tiger Woods is highlighted through the class of the car he drives as well as the seemingly impossible golf shots he makes with little effort.

On the other hand, the Budweiser commercial features a donkey that is disheartened as he can not be a part of the elegant, beautiful Clydesdale horses which are the mascots for Budweiser. Determined, the donkey practices by pulling a cart with beer, prancing about, and changing his appearance. Finally, he comes before a group of Clydesdale horses to be interviewed; however, he “he-haws” like a donkey and thus thinks that he will be rejected. Despite his fears, he is accepted as a Clydesdale.

These two humorous and classy commercials are aimed at selling cars and beer, in an unrealistic manner; however, they go beyond product marketing to selling the values of success and patriotism in an unrealistic manner too.