A new Budweiser commercial by America’s leading brewery Anheuser-Busch to be shown during the Super Bowl final, has divided the nation. The ad, called "Born the Hard Way", is shining a light on the contributions that immigrants have made to the U.S. and features the struggles of the brewery’s cofounder Adolphus Busch when he emigrated from Germany to the United States in 1857.
On his arrival a stranger shouts, "You're not wanted here. Go back home!" seemingly an allusion to the actual restrictive immigration policy of U.S. President Donald Trump. At the end of the commercial, Adolphus Busch meets his future business partner Eberhard Anheuser, another German immigrant, to fulfil his dream of brewing beer and to start what will become the leading brewery in the new world.
Super Bowl ads have become a spectacle and tradition in their own right. A 30-second spot commands a whopping $5 million and is seen by roughly 112 million people (2016). Therefore major companies like Anheuser Busch produce commercials which are designed only for this event.
The 60-second commercial of the beer maker has been released in advance on the internet and has already caused a lot of controversial discussions. People, who see an offense like President Trump@SupportDonald twitter: #BOYCOTT @Budweiser. Political ads have no place being aired during #Superbowl #Americans want to protect our country! #BoycottBudweiser
On the other side, there are people in favor of the new commercial like Bianca Jagger, former super model , ex-wife of Mick Jagger and today member of the executive director's leadership council of Amnesty International USA: Bravo #Budweiser, I don’t drink beer and don’t advocate drinking alcohol but I LOVE your immigration #SuperBowl adv.
Anheuser-Busch said the commercial was not intended to be a political statement. "We created the Budweiser commercial to highlight the ambition of our founder, Adolphus Busch, and his unrelenting pursuit of the American dream. This is a story about our heritage and the uncompromising commitment that goes into brewing our beer. It's an idea we've been developing along with our creative agency for nearly a year." told Anheuser-Busch vice president of marketing Marcel Marcondes The Washington Post on Saturday, February 4.
The commercial can be seen here.
