Budweiser Advertisement Analysis

Advertising within the world of the media is big business; nobody can escape the clutches of the advertising market. Everywhere you go, somebody, somewhere is trying to promote their product or service via the media.

There are various mediums in which companies go through to get their product across to their target consumers, (fig.1) from company newsletters to television commercials.

For this assignment, I shall be using the recent Ð''Budweiser' commercials, to analyse the codes set by Ð''Barthes, Branigan and Todorov'.

The Ð''Budweiser' commercials have been very successful in promoting their product over the years, however this year alone they have more than likely earned more revenue than all the years of advertising put together. The key to this success was simply down to one word "wassupp".

The commercial is basically about a group of African-American friends watching a sporting game while drinking Budweiser. The way, in which they greet each other, is by shouting the word "wassupp" (African-American slang for Ð''what is up').

The commercial was so influential that even the national newspaper, The Times wrote an article on the inspiring advert, (fig.2) expressing their views and understanding of the commercial.

"Todorov argued that all the stories begin with an Ð''equilibrium', where any potentially opposing forces are Ð''in balance'. This is disrupted by some event, setting in train a series of other events, to close with a second but different Ð''equilibrium' or status quo."

Tzvetan Todorov's argued structure of narrative theory can be easily seen within the Budweiser commercial. At the start of the commercial we see two different shots of two young males, sitting on a sofa, with a bottle of Budweiser, watching the television, therefore creating a state of equilibrium.

One of the two decides to phone the other, greeting him the word "wassupp" the other responding in the same manner. Already we see the state of equilibrium disrupted by this event.

After informing one another that both are "watching da game, having a bud" a series of other disruptive events comes into play, when other household members join in on the banter by shouting the now familiar word "wassupp", hence a recognition that a disruption has taken place.

At the end of the advert equilibrium is restored again when the original two males return to their conversation by one replying to the other males' shout of "wassupp" with "watching da game, having a bud".

Features of Branigan's narrative schema can also be found within the Budweiser commercial. We are immediately given an introduction of setting and characters; two African-American friends sporting fashionable clothes slouching and lying down on the sofa at home.

We are then told that they are watching a game and having a Budweiser, therefore an explanation of a state of affairs has been introduced. A greeting then challenges one of the two friends from another household member, which becomes the initiating event described by Branigan. The friend's emotional response is to answer the greeting in the same manner.

This then triggers off the rest of the household members from both houses to shout "wassupp" repetitively, therefore creating a series of complicating actions and a sense of chaos. The final outcome is to return to the state of equilibrium, seen at the beginning of the commercial.

"Typically, these will be aimed at a young audience and will be advertising, fast food, soft drinks, or young fashion. They offer a series of sensuous images of desire, style and of materiality. Paradoxically, the product often appears a minimal part of the message"

John Fiske comments the above quote on commodified pleasure, within television commercials. I found this to be good reference towards analysing the Budweiser commercial. Budweiser have clearly gone all out to present us with an advert primarily aimed at young fashion victims, (fig.3).

Also in relation to Fiske's quote the actual product, Budweiser, is shown and mentioned only maybe once or twice at the start and end of the commercial. Budweiser have made the advert to promote an image incorporating their product rather than just their product and so like the above quote says, the product appears as a minimal part of the message.

They have presented us with an all male cast therefore aiming to get across, that their product is a Ð''man's drink'. Their phrase, "wassupp" was quick to catch on among young adults everywhere, because of the way the group of friends in the commercial are portrayed, wearing fashionable clothing, drinking a popular drink, watching a popular sport and having a general aura of coolness.

Therefore the company are trying to say that to drink Budweiser is cool and good. All of these conform to Barthes semic code.

The group of friends appear