Beer for the masses. Not the upper classes.

March, 2024

Welcome back to The Levison Letter.

Hey. Did you catch the old TV commercial for Bud Light beer?

It features a nobleman in medieval England who orders Bud Light for his entire retinue.

Everybody in the hall cheers except for one effete fellow in the corner who declares that he doesn't want a Bud Light. He prefers "a nice mead" but only if it's "autumnal."

For his rejection of Bud Light, and his snobby preference for a specialty brew, the too-good-for-Bud drinker is thrown into the stocks.

The tag line at the end of the commercial is . . .

"Bud Light. For the many, not the few."

Click here to see the commercial

So what is the commercial doing?

It is reassuring Bud Light customers that they are the real Americans, the many; not the few snooty, effete types who only drink artisanal beers.

From a purely positioning point of view, I think the Bud Light commercial does a terrific job. What's more, it reminds us of an important copywriting truth . . .

A great tagline should never be a random, throw-away phrase. At its best it should reinforce the key product positioning.

"Bud Light. For the many, not the few."

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