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Unless you were one of the few girls (or guys) watching a “Sex in the City” marathon last night or you’re un-American, chances are you were watching the Super Bowl. You also probably saw the brilliantly directed Budweiser commercial featuring a soldier from Florida who was welcomed home by a giant parade in his hometown. You may have lost it after a few close-ups of his girlfriend and family crying as they saw him for the first time in months, or maybe even years. Just like I did. I ugly cried so hard that not even the non-profit I work for wanted me to come back because my hideous face would have been such bad PR for them. I cried so hard because that commercial brought me back to that night in August of 2010 when my older brother came home from Afghanistan after nine grueling months at war. I cried so hard because for the first time ever, a commercial made me physically sick to my stomach.
I am so proud to be an American. I am honored that every day, countless brave men and women choose to give up their time at home with their loved ones to protect our blessed country. I appreciate that my safety is not a given, and that without their dedication and sacrifice, I may not be here today. My older brother went off to the war in Afghanistan a few years ago, and those were the nine longest months of my life. Every article, story, or mention of the war during his time overseas made my family and me cringe, and we prayed that he was far away from whatever danger highlighted the news that day. We tried to count down the days to his uncertain arrival home. The day he finally came home was the absolute best day of my life.
I’m normally an emotionless and down-to-earth person with an extremely dry and sarcastic sense of humor. I never understood when the actors in movies cried tears of joy and I swore that it would never happen to me. But the first time I hugged my brother in the safety of our country after nine months of torture? I was a train wreck. I was so overcome with emotion that I began bawling the moment we made eye contact. He was home. He was back. He was safe.
When I saw the Budweiser commercial last night, a few years after his homecoming, all I could think was, “What if cameras had been there during my reunion with my brother? What if Budweiser had exploited that emotion in order to sell beer to the rest of America?” I immediately texted my brother asking him his thoughts on the commercial, stating that it didn’t sit right with me. And what did he say? “I know what you mean.”
Apparently we aren’t the only ones who feel this way. Someone named Sgt. B. wrote a column for Duffel Blog–a website similar to The Onion but for military personnel–titled “Heartwarming Steel Reserve Super Bowl Ad Welcomes Soldier Home to Empty House, 40oz Beers.” The thought-provoking column gives a little perspective to Budweiser’s manipulative attempt at winning over the hearts of the American people. Not every soldier comes home to a patriotic parade, not every soldier comes home to family, and not every soldier comes home to a fresh beginning. Unfortunately, yet realistically, many come home to both physical and mental disabilities such as PTSD and addiction, and alcohol becomes both a friend and an enemy. Why didn’t Budweiser think of the 33% of soldiers who suffer from PTSD and/or depression? Why are they exploiting a single soldier’s homecoming to make money? The commercial has nothing to do with beer. Why couldn’t they just stick to puppies and horses and friendship?
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Topanga
Topanga is a contributing writer for Post Grad Problems. Lover of red wine, mediocre gossip, and Corey's whipped ass.
@TopangaPGP
Damn good write.
In my opinion, this was simply Budweiser’s attempt to prove they’re still an American company, even though they no longer are. Throughout their history, Anheuser-Busch did things that selflessly promote patriotism, with the mindset that ‘If our country succeeds, we succeed’. This ad attempted to do the same thing, but really missed the mark.
I feel where you’re coming from, but I don’t agree at all. It’s not just about “that one guy,” yeah, he may have been the center of attention in that moment but think about all the vets that showed up to be a part of something they may have never had. Perhaps recalling how Vietnam vets were treated, you won’t be so harsh on Budweiser, example:
The Army provided my charter flight from Vietnam to the LA airport and I had to arrange a connecting flight to Salt Lake City. The charter flight was a new 747, a huge plane full of troops returning from Vietnam. I guess with a target that big, protestors knew we were coming and had gathered.
As we were walking down the LA concourse we could hear shouting and I could see security guys and people behind a rope carrying signs on sticks. As we came closer to them we had to walk right by the rope line and their yelling was louder. I couldn’t help but feel conflicted because I was a hippie in my heart and I wished the war would end, too, and if I were not a machine gunner in the jungle, maybe I would be there with a sign and yelling right along with them. With that feeling of distant kinship, I noticed one of them was a very pretty girl with blonde hair parted in the middle, blue eyes and wearing a granny dress, hippie clothes like I wore, fair young skin like mine but hers looked so soft and tender.
Damn, it had been too long away from women and I couldn’t help myself staring at her right up on the rope line and as I passed by very close she spit in my face. I tried to turn my head but was too late and, with arms full I walked along with disbelief, spit dripping from my face as the shouts of “Get out of Vietnam!” and “Killer!” and “Murderer” penetrated down to the center of my soul where a little sensor began glowing to tell me I had been betrayed.
Didn’t they know I was just like them and doing what I had to do because my country called me? Did they know better than our country’s leaders about helping a country resist a communist takeover? As I slogged along, having mastered the art in mountain jungles with a heavy load, I burned with a confusing mix of unwarranted shame and resentment.
http://www.angryskipperassociation.org/pdf_documents/Grunt%20Melody.pdf
In context, this guy’s unit, my Uncle included, got shot up in fuck ass nowhere Vietnam while people, our parents’ generation specifically, took time out of their day to spit on draftees. I’ll continue buying Budweiser, especially if they take the time to organize things like this, because it really wasn’t about the beer for anyone there in person.
I completely agree that our vets were treated in a completely different manor during the Vietnam war and it’s a beautiful thing that companies like Budweiser want to throw a huge well-deserved celebration for a returning soldier. However, the end goal of any advertisement is to make money and promote your product. Would Budweiser have acted the same way without cameras to display their selfless act during the Super Bowl?
I don’t care. They will promote their brand in some fashion regardless. Would you rather see their money spent in communities and benefiting real people or on a worthless celebrity? I know which one I’d pick.
So if the point of the commercial was to generate awareness… you’re saying it was a success? It was part of Bud’s CSR campaign. For focusing on vets outside of a holiday, Bud deserves praise– not criticism because they didn’t do it good enough for you.
Also, Budweiser has a long history of being very supportive of the troops.
In a year where 23,000 of the Airmen are being involentarily separated, its nice to see that budweiser still shows support.
I thought it was 25,000.
As a OEF X veteran I agree. Soldiers aren’t soldiers to sell beer and get on tv. Soldiers aren’t Soldiers to get parades and be Heros. We are doing a job and sometimes exceptional Soldiers do heroic things and never even get an award. This LT needs to get his head tightened back on if he ever wants his men to respect him again.
Wow, you completely changed the way I see that commercial. Great insight.
Infantry Marine here,
Just throwing in my two cents a little late to the party. If you’re going to cite the Duffelblog: Steel Reserve article definitely check out this one as well: http://www.duffelblog.com/2014/02/super-bowl-army-ad/
I just don’t see how Budweiser using their money to do something good for a man and then using it as advertising is bad. They could have filmed a commercial with a famous celebrity, group of horses, or even a cute puppy making a friend and just spend the entire production budget on paying a filming company. Instead, they did a nice thing for a troop and donated a lot of money to military-related charities. It’s sad to think that them doing a good thing should be construed as emotionally-manipulative and wrong advertising for a vet-killing product. It is not. Just a way to connect to military minded consumers by doing something that reaches the hearts of a lot of veteran men and women.
It all comes down money and running a viable business, but it doesn’t mean their hearts can’t be in the right place when they do it.
Nanner, you doni’t know what you’re talking about. I would have been happy to let Budweiser film me any of the times I’ve gotten back home for money and free Super Bowl tickets. He let ’em do it. I liked it.
I do know what I’m talking about even if you doni’t agree with it.