Dilly dilly! Not a time for Bud Light to get silly (Ode to our Bud, Part 1)

Absence makes the thirst grow stronger.

“Whasssuup, Bud? Where are you? 

Spending the Super Bowl together is our thing. Since 1983 you’ve made the Super Bowl a little more fun with your ads.

That’s 37 years, Bud.

This year, not even a Bud Bowl game? C’mon! That’s literally and figuratively Busch league. 

Been talking so much about Anheuser-Busch InBev not having Bud or Bud Light Super Bowl ads this year that I sound like I have frogs in my throat. A bold Bud-wise-er move, pulling your Super Bowl ads this year in light of the pandemic. We will miss your humor, warmth and creativity. 

Every Super Bowl Sunday you had a surprise for us.

Remember “horsing around” with the eponymous Clydesdales? That horses versus animals football game was epic. You know when a streaker emerges from the crowd and interrupts the game — the streaker was a naked sheep! Surprise! None of us watching saw that one coming. You pulled the wool over all our eyes. Not a baaaad ad at all. 

We know it’s your job to sell us product and not just to entertain us, but you always did. Sure, you almost made us cry at times, but it always ended well. Like when the scared, Lost Puppy was saved from that wolf by stampeding Clydesdales just in the knickerbocker of time.

You may have grown tired of the dog and pony show, but we didn’t. Let me remind you of just some of your classics. 

“Here Weego” is a truly fetching Bud Light spot, puns intended. A dog named Weego trained to retrieve beer for thirsty partygoers. Brilliant. Silly yes, but perfect for a Super Bowl audience. It would still resonate today. 

Okay, I admit you have a serious side, too. That time you honored a soldier returning home by giving him the Hero Homecoming was a nice sentiment. (Having him ride the Clydesdales’ beer wagon in a parade was a little much though.)

Still, it was nice to see that Every Dog has its Day. While the hero spot was overkill, that dog spot was spot on.

Sure, there was conflict in your ads. Some more aggressive than others. 

Most were harmless, like two friends competing over the last cold Bud Light. I did not feel cheated at Rock, Paper, Scissors. The “you throw paper” and “I throw rock” sentiment was not your best 30 seconds. Yet, still solid as a rock for a Super Bowl ad.

Or like a house made out of Bud Light, I knew your Super Bowl dominance might fall apart some day. I just never thought it would be so soon. 

Like each Super Bowl game, life is full of highs and lows. Winners and losers. Yet we pulled for each other like cords on parachutes. Speaking of, how about that time you took us Skydiving. To get us to make the jump you threw Bud Light out the plane and suddenly the pilot dives out after it! That ad made our hearts jump for joy.

Sure glad you landed on that crab-infested beach. Those beer stealing, cooler worshipping crustaceans were unique. Not your most sophisticated, heart-nudging or high-minded ad, but those cute Crabs stole the show that day.  

I know decisions like this are made case-by-case. So I will spare you the canned speech.

I’ve kept this bottled up too long. For 37 years in fact. 

I took your Super Bowl Sunday ads for granted. We all did. 

I love, and miss, my Buds, 

Steve