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Donny GloverProfessor EmilioEnglish 110225 September 2018A Toast to the American DreamDressed in a weathered black suit and a face filled with determination, Adolphus Busch,founder of the internationally renowned beer company Budweiser, faces struggle and uncertaintyin the 2017 Super Bowl commercial “Born the Hard Way”. The commercial, set in the late1850’s following the industrial revolution in America, depicts violent scenes of boats caught upin seastorms and Busch trudging through mud under the gloomy Saint Louis sky. The ad shedslight on Busch’s immigration and hope for the “American Dream”. The ad generated a nationalpolitical outcry and raised concerns over immigration, specifically Muslim immigration, giventhe time of the release and the tension dividing the country. Uplifting music grows louder asBusch inches closer to his dream through a series of supercuts which invites the viewer to beapart of Busch’s dangerous and fast-paced journey. The advertisement is a story squeezed into aminute meant to round up empathy and pride as Busch writes that once we achieve our dream,“this is the beer we drink”. Incorporating aspects that appeal to Democrats and Republicans alikefrom legal Muslim immigration to patriotic pride, “Born The Hard Way” demands millions ofAmericans watching to ponder the question of what it means to be an American.On February 5th, 2017 over one hundred million people, or about a third of America,tuned into the annual Super Bowl football game. Known for the humorous and high budgetcommercials aired during the game, it comes as no surprise that “Born the Hard Way” gainedattention. Yet what sets this commercial apart from many others is that it gained attention on apolitical stage. Just a couple of weeks prior 2016 president-elect Donald Trump was welcomedinto the White House as the 45th president of the United States, hence the entire country was in asensitive state, wary of anything that could point fingers to or from Trump. Many saw thecommercial as a mockery of Trump’s executive order 13769, better known as the Muslim Ban,was issued on January 27th and met with both public backlash and support. The timing of thisad is hardly coincidental, rather planned. Sonia Maasik and Jack Solomon, authors of Signs ofLife, have concluded that “looking at ads from different eras reveals just what was preoccupiedAmericans at different historical periods” (147). In 2017, “Born The Hard Way” confrontedAmericans with a nasty reality. Presented in the commercial after a sickening and brutal boat rideacross the Atlantic Ocean, German immigrant Adolphus Busch is seen getting his passportstamped as a man with a standard American accent says “Welcome to America”. Busch is thenshoved around a New York street crowded with dirty, industrial looking Americans who glareand shout “Go back home” and “We don’t want you here.” Phrases as such were all too familiarfollowing the Muslim ban, resonating with the reality that America was repeating its past. Trumpsupporters felt like this was a passive jab at the president, some even calling for a boycott of thecompany while others applauded the commercial. The release of this ad is not coincidentaldespite Budweiser’s statements, in fact large companies know “the whole world will bewatching, and which, accordingly, enjoy unusually large production budgets and are oftencrafted to be broadcast only during a single Super Bowl, are designed to be culturallysignificant” (142). Hence, Budweiser knew releasing the advertisement at such a sensitive timewould stir up conversation and thrust their company into the spotlight.When watching this commercial, it feels as though one is watching a historicaldocumentary. The commercial demands your full attention; it is pure entertainment andadvertisers know people love to be entertained. The color palette is faded browns, blacks, andgreys that mimic the American industrial revolution and hardship. The commercial doesn’t usetrap or pop to engage their audiences, but rather uses an intense score one would find in thetrailer of an action film. This is to build tension, engage the viewer to the fullest, and stayfocused. Chronological timing is a crucial part of this commercial, especially towards the middle.It is, for the majority, an energized action story, however it breaks down in the middle to a slowand eager scene. In this scene, Busch rows through a marsh presumably near St. Louis sittingnext to a black man. They smile at each other and look in the direction of where the boat isheaded with smiles still on their faces. Racial tension has been another prominent topic that’staken hold of the American public in recent years from Black Lives Matter versus All LivesMatter movements to racial inequality in the workplace. Thus this moment of peace and unitywhere a black man and a white man are heading towards the same dream and goal together issymbolic of unity, something Americans haven’t ever fully had but strive to one day achieve. Toshow this scene, which lasts for mere seconds, during a time when the nation was crumbling wasBudweiser’s metaphorical way of trying to steer Americans back to what their value should be;togetherness.Bred from hard work and unity came patriotism and that’s exactly what Budweiserwanted their viewers to think about. In fact, Budweiser released a statement shortly after thecommercial aired claiming their intention was unrelated to politics, yet many Americans believethis was just released as a way to ease the anger over their brand. They simply wanted to relay astory of determination which is a common value in American culture. This commercial utilizedpathos as a way to appeal to the audience’s emotions, even manipulating them to feel guilty ifthey don’t buy a Budweiser given the extensive background story of the company. Despite thecommercial representing a beer company, the plot avoided beer as a staple factor altogether savefor the ending. Refusing to mention beer, with the exception of a few shots of Busch’ssketchbook and the ending, the audience is able to forget they're watching a commercial at all.By removing alcohol as a focus, Budweiser was able to make their commercial more emotionaland ironically less commercialized.A heavily overlooked topic in this commercial is irony which is presented mostnoticeably in the title “Born The Hard Way”. Busch was a white man born into a wealthy familyand received a formal education from the Collegiate Institute of Brussels which was a prestigiousschool in Belgium. Thus, Busch wasn’t exactly “born the hard” way but rather he was put into aposition where he could afford to immigrate to the United States and pursue his dreams. Yet thistitle is strategically made to appeal to all Americans, many of whom really were born withoutprivilege. By giving the commercial the title “Born The Hard Way”, Budweiser hoped to extenda hand out to the everyday person with the idea that they too understood struggle and the pursuitof a dream.All in all, the perspective Budweiser hopes its audience who views this commercial tohave is a positive one. By associating their brand with hard work, celebration, and fulfilment,consumers will be more likely to want to drink a Budweiser. Solomon believes “ads that areaimed at a broader market take the opposite approach. In “Masters of Desire”, Solomonconcludes that “if the American dream encourages the desire to ‘arrive’, to vault above the mass,it also fosters a desire to be popular, to ‘belong’” (155). Budweiser exploits the concept of this“American Dream” -- which is typically a dear and personal aspect of American culture itself --to sell beer. Sure enough, the “American Dream” is a key factor in this commercial, and this adpreys on Americans’ insecurity to “fit in” or to have a dream that may be celebrated by raising aBudweiser in your favor. This beer is associated with success, thus if you raise a Budweiser,you’re drinking success not just for your own dream but for the dream of an immigrant thatsailed across the ocean a century and a half before.Works CitedMaasik, Sonia, and Jack Solomon. “Brought To You B(u)y: The Signs of Advertising”Signs of Life in the USA: Readings on Popular Culture for Writers, 9th ed., edited bySonia Maasik and Jack SOlomon, Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2018. p. 147.Solomon, Jack. “Masters of Desire: The Culture of American Advertising.” Signs of Lifein the USA: Readings on Popular Culture for Writers, 9th ed., edited by Sonia Maasikand Jack Solomon, Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2018. p. 155. ................
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