I used to hate advertisements. But I think advertisers are finally starting to get it… people hate feeling like they’re being sold snake oil.
So now there are some pretty freaking great commercials out there. Yes, they are often lost in a sea of bad ads, but the good ones actually make me want to buy whatever it is they’re selling. All of the product placement in Mad Men is just one example, but there are plenty of other not-so-serious spots that really do make me want to open up my wallet and say “Please, take what you want, you’re fricken hilarious, you’ve earned it.”
A recent example that caught my attention is the Old Milwaukee / Will Ferrell campaign. I’m not sure that I had ever even seen an Old Milwaukee ad since high school (remember the Swedish Bikini team ads? You do if you were a high-school-aged male in the 90’s…) and I’m not even sure that Old Milwaukee sponsored the Will Ferrell ads (they’re not on oldmilwaukee.com… yet). But if you think Will Ferrell is funny (many, many people do) and if you drink beer (many, many people do), you’ll LOVE these ads.
Here’s one of Will at a Davenport, IA bar, wearing a camouflage button-up shirt under camo bib overalls. He starts talking about how so many people say that our nation is “in the dumper”, and that India and China are “kicking out butt,” but manages to refute this defeatism by simply stating that “the Cedar (bar), over here in Daverport, they got Old Milwaukee in cans.” Will did a few more of these commercials, all in the same vein, targeting two midwest “small towns”:
Terre Haute, IN : Crossroads of America, Parking Garage, RR Tracks,
Davenport, IA: “Hand-fishing”, Sitting on His Favorite Log
Will Ferrell and the (other) beer that made Milwaukee famous. Image courtesy of the interwebs.
Many high-class or well-respected advertising people might think these commercials are simply a stupid idea. And really, if anyone other than Will Ferrell was doing it, it would be a stupid idea.
But it’s genius. Whether or not Will is being sarcastic (it’s really tough to tell with him) is completely irrelevant. It’s a funny commercial that gets people talking.
My grandfather drank Old Milwaukee. And my grandfather would think these commercials are embarrassing to his favorite brand. But my grandfather passed away… just like so many other Old Mil drinkers. (Not because they drank Old Mil, of course.) But Old Mil seemed to have dropped the ball when it comes to picking up a new generation of cheap beer drinkers. Unfortunately, a nauseating majority of people who don’t drink “good” beer (i.e. craft/micro-brew) drink Bud Light or Miller Lite. (B.L./M.L. drinkers would argue their beer is “good,” a statement to which I would smile and politely change the subject.) And this is horrible and sad in so many ways. I’m not saying it’s bad to drink non-micro-brew beer on occasion, but let’s put forth at least a little effort towards not making the giant, super-rich breweries even more giant and super-rich.
Now, finally, Old Mil seems to be making a little headway. I’m not sure if these commercials were just aired locally in the cities mentioned in the ads, but if means anything, I’ll say this:
Keep up the good work, Old Milwaukee. Never mind that your beer is the butt of many jokes, the fact that people laugh makes them want to drink your beer. I will drink your beer, simply because you have a sense of humor… and it doesn’t really taste any different than beers that cost twice as much.
FYI, my favorite line from these ads is from the Terre Haute RR Tracks ad: “We are a nation of backyards… and there are a LOT of rickety trampolines out there.”
