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  • Essay / Friends Wait: A Study of Budweiser

    Large companies have the challenge of creating a compelling story in less than a minute that will engage an audience and promote their product. That's exactly what the Budweiser brewing company did with its "Friends are Waiting" commercial. They produced this for World Be(er) Responsible Day, hoping to not only advertise their drinks, but also raise awareness about drinking safely. With the story of a growing puppy and his owner, the audience is led to discover the underlying message about drinking. Between pathos, ethos, logos and repetition, Budweiser balances the story of a loving dog and the bond between its owners, while advising responsible drinking. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an Original Essay Throughout the advertisement, it is evident that Budweiser most often uses pathos to arouse people's feeling of love towards the dog and its owner. We are first shown the puppy being carried by its owner, which makes it seem like an important character in the story. He begins to remind the audience of his own pets and the first connection they had. From there, the bond between owner and dog manifests through play in the park, naps together, and overall growth from puppy to dog. This again ties into the audience recalling memories of when their pets were little and how much they helped them grow. With the song's added lyrics, "You and I, we were made for love, one life ain't long enough to show you what you mean to me", and the catchy, upbeat melody, people were find themselves humming the lyrics and thinking about the connection in commerce as well as with their pets. When it comes time for the owner to go out with his friends, the audience feels sorry for the dog because he is left behind after all his adventures. By now they have established a strong bond with the dog and are worried about it as we wonder where the owner is all night. By creating this connection, Budweiser created an emotional connection between pet owners and the story of the ad, keeping them engaged in the processing as well as the product. Advertising takes a turn towards ethos when the only wording: “For some, the wait” never ends. But we can change that…make a plan to get home. Your friends are counting on you,” comes in. This sets the tone: although Budweiser wants to promote its product, it wants people to enjoy their beer responsibly. This wording is strategically placed in the middle of waiting to see if the owner will return home to their loving companion. Since this is an ad for World Be(er) Responsible Day, they use the bond between owner and dog, along with these compelling words, to draw everyone's attention to the fact that they can drink and still be responsible for their lives. This gives the public a sense of credibility towards Budweiser, because they care as much about the impact of their drink as they do about its sales. Budweiser also relayed its credibility by turning "Friends are Waiting" into a series of multiple commercials, each showing different relationships between a puppy and its owner. In doing so, they activated a media “hashtag,” “#FriendsareWaiting,” allowing their product to then be easily distributed and discussed across the Internet. In the 21st century, most young and middle-aged adults are aware of today's social media applications, which.