Rhetorical Analysis for Budweiser: Super Bowl XLVIII Puppy Love

         I was asked to write a rhetorical analysis using an ad of my choice and to be honest I had no idea what ad to pick. There are hundreds of ads created daily and so many good ones to choose from. As I started to begin thinking about which ad I wanted a memory popped up in my head. I remembered an ad that Budweiser created during the Super Bowl one year that involved horses and puppies. Well-being the young girl I was then and being a lover of all animals I fell in love with the commercial. There are so many things to love about this commercial ad. From the music, the emotion involved, the reason for this ad and what its meaning is but also the animals and the friendship between them.

         This ad begins at a puppy adoption center and shows many puppies who are patiently waiting to be adopted. All except for one. This one particular blonde haired puppy decides he doesn’t belong there and crawls his way under the fence to the neighbor’s house. The little puppy began galloping across the field of dirt to the neighbor’s house in search of a new home. He heads straight to the barn where he finds a tall and stout hairy friend in which their noses meeting as they greet each other. His new friend was 4 times his size and a Clydesdale horse.

         Budweiser chose to use this ad I believe because they want to draw viewers in with a heartwarming scene involving cute animals. Even though Budweiser didn’t directly say this in the ad I believe there was another reason for it being created. Budweiser wanted to relate their product to close friendships. They are trying to point out that their product brings people together in all different types of ways, even a puppy and a Clydesdale. From watching the ad I believe Budweiser achieved the message they were trying to get across involving their product.

         The Clydesdales owner notices the puppy who he assumes had to of escaped from the neighboring adoption center and decides to call the owner to have him picked up. The puppy with a face of misery as he is being carried away from his new friend. The little puppy decides one dark rainy night to make a visit to his friend in the barn next door. The owner once again returns the puppy to where he belongs, and he still tries his best to go under that fence time and time again. Until one day the puppy is being carried out an unfamiliar face whom he gets put into a vehicle with. As he is driving away, he stares in sadness at the place he used to call home.

         As the puppy rides away, he barks in sadness and realizes he is leaving behind his friend and his true home. Just as the puppy thinks he will never see his Clydesdale friend again; his new friend appears. Galloping and jumping over fences through fields just to make it to his dear friend in distress. The Clydesdale begins chasing behind the vehicle in hopes of stopping the vehicle. The unfamiliar face in the vehicle shockingly realizes that there is a huge Clydesdale horse racing behind him but what’s in front of him is even more shocking. The driver slams on his brakes in disbelief of what was headed his way. Four galloping Clydesdale horses stop him in his tracks, and they race towards him. Suddenly the owner of the Clydesdale horses is appalled at what he sees coming down his driveway. His five Clydesdale horses and the neighboring puppy who seemed to love his farm and horses. The owner comes to the realization as he holds the puppy that he belonged with him and his horses all along.

         This ad expresses such emotion and captivates bringing people together. In Budweiser’s ad they are trying to relate to people and using animals adds a cute aspect to how Budweiser could bring people closer together. The music included in this ad brings extra emotion to an already emotional and heartwarming scenario. Budweiser wanted to grab the attention of viewers and be relatable. They knew that many people would love their approach because it involves cute animals and who doesn’t love cute puppies? You can tell there is such a connection between the puppy and horses. One that is unbreakable.

         Budweiser’s story begins in 1864 involving two German immigrants who wanted nothing but to be businessmen in the industry to create the highest quality of beer. Eberhard Anheuser and Adolphus Busch would later work as ambitiously as they could to create what soon became Anheuser-Busch. (Budweiser) eventually would go on to be named (Budweiser). In 1901 the company would go on to break a record for the very first time. One million barrels of beer sold in which (Budweiser) became one of the nation’s top breweries. As years went on, they celebrated their success of their business along came the prohibition. The prohibition lasted from 1920-1933 in which (Budweiser) decided to not close their doors. Instead, they decided to focus on nonalcoholic beverages.

The Clydesdales made their debut in 1933 and were from August A. Busch, Jr. and Adolphus Busch III in which was in remembrance of their father. (Budweiser) was able to reach such success that in 1980 the company had sold 50 million barrels of beer.

In conclusion, Budweiser knew that their product brings people together just like the puppy and the horse came together. They wanted to grab the viewers’ attention with their ad and that’s exactly what they did. The catchy but emotional music, the cute animals and the emotional ending in which the puppy found his home. Budweiser is such a great company and came a long way from where they started. I believe that Budweiser is such a family-oriented company and wanted to bring people together even to promote a product that is only for adults. Budweiser will always be one of my favorite ad makers.

  Works Cited

“Budweiser: Super Bowl XLVIII Puppy Love.” Youtube, uploaded by Budweiser Brasil, 1 Feb. 2014,  https://youtu.be/dlNO2trC-mk. Accessed 12 March 2023

“History.” Budweiser, https://us.budweiser.com/history. Accessed 12 March 2023