I just watched the new Budweiser commercial for July 4 this year and I think it is genius. They used story to do good as well as make money. Lately I’ve been disturbed by mechanistic applications of story, but this? This is big picture, risky, embedded with big T Truth and I hope it does what it seems to have been designed to do.
Budweiser invites liberals and conservatives to remember who they are and why they are here, and to have a damn beer fer crissakes. The common good intentions of left and right are symbolized by the conservative cues framing the family of the veteran and his daughter as obviously conservative they add an even heavier handed cues about liberal Hollywood to characterize Adam Driver. Then they dissolve their different POVs with the shared tragedy of both men being wounded before deployment and dealing with pain and survivors guilt.
I try to imagine… what was the dialogue in the conference room when they made the decision
“Should we do it?”
“It’s risky.”
“You are f—ing idealists.”
“It tested well.”
“Screw it, we’re going to do it.”
Of course they tested this ad. I admit preliminary the comments I’ve read are accusatorial jabs from die hard haters from both sides. But I hope that over time, the idea of just sitting down and having a beer comparing what we care about most…will bring some sanity to the current political arena.
If not, I’ll just drink a Bud and try not to worry about it.
…storytelling has become extraordinarily popular.
Those untrained in oral storytelling produce laundry lists of components or a best structure for a “good story.”