The Great American Summer
I was driving to work today and a beer commercial came on the radio. I believe it was for Coors Light (my beer of choice when I was 21). Like every other light beer commercial around this time of year, it was about celebrating the greatness of summer with an ice cold beer in your hand. I HATE summer beer commercials and I will tell you the selfish reason why.
I haven't enjoyed the summer depicted in beer commercials in years. My summers don't consist of endless backyard barbecues, ice cold beers by the pool or ... fun.
Unlike the other drab days of the year, summer days are just days where the sun is up when I go into work and it's still up when I leave work. I've even experienced the joy of working summer weekends for years, which means the backyard barbecue that I could have been attending at 3 p.m. has usually disintegrated into a dark night, drunken mess by the time I arrive.
However, why is it that makers of generic light American beers are always the ones who prey on people's longing for those sunny summer days? I don't ever remember seeing barbecues, girls in bikini tops tossing beach balls, and turquoise pool water splashing all over everyone in a Grolsch commercial. (Okay, I've never actually seen a Grolsch commercial but you get my point.) It is always the Bud Light, Michelob and Coors Light commercials that make me angry that I can't have a carefree summer day and if I could have one, I wouldn't waste it drinking their beer.
Obviously advertising is all about projecting an image for consumers. Of course I want to spend a nice sunny day at the beach or at a cookout eating, drinking and having fun. I just wish that we could all have more of those summer days that we enjoyed as children, when work and other obligations didn't get in the way.
How about a beer commercial that speaks to the real American summer? A man/woman drives to the package store after work, picks up a six-pack, comes home, mows the lawn before dark, eats dinner from a microwaveable tray, cracks a can of beer and sips it while cleaning out the DVR, and checking their email on their Smartphone.
Insert tagline: Summer ... it's not what it used to be ... so drink up!
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| Courtesy: Sodahead.com |
Unlike the other drab days of the year, summer days are just days where the sun is up when I go into work and it's still up when I leave work. I've even experienced the joy of working summer weekends for years, which means the backyard barbecue that I could have been attending at 3 p.m. has usually disintegrated into a dark night, drunken mess by the time I arrive.
However, why is it that makers of generic light American beers are always the ones who prey on people's longing for those sunny summer days? I don't ever remember seeing barbecues, girls in bikini tops tossing beach balls, and turquoise pool water splashing all over everyone in a Grolsch commercial. (Okay, I've never actually seen a Grolsch commercial but you get my point.) It is always the Bud Light, Michelob and Coors Light commercials that make me angry that I can't have a carefree summer day and if I could have one, I wouldn't waste it drinking their beer.
Obviously advertising is all about projecting an image for consumers. Of course I want to spend a nice sunny day at the beach or at a cookout eating, drinking and having fun. I just wish that we could all have more of those summer days that we enjoyed as children, when work and other obligations didn't get in the way.
How about a beer commercial that speaks to the real American summer? A man/woman drives to the package store after work, picks up a six-pack, comes home, mows the lawn before dark, eats dinner from a microwaveable tray, cracks a can of beer and sips it while cleaning out the DVR, and checking their email on their Smartphone.
Insert tagline: Summer ... it's not what it used to be ... so drink up!
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