This Bud's for all of us

Like many folks, the impending acquisition of Anheuser-Busch by Belgian-Brazilian multinational InBev has given me pause. Not so much, however, for its potential threat to American jobs, but primarily because the Bud brand, and its advertising, has been so much a part of our popular culture. I worry just a little that InBev, historically so cautious in spending to promote its products, will cut back on Budweiser’s advertising budget. And that could be a loss, my friends, depending on how severely it deprives us of something that’s both frivolous and uniquely admirable.

Call me a pop-culture yahoo or pop-culture egghead if you want (both apply), but I admire the Budweiser brand’s distinctive imprint on Americana, particularly on the entertainment side of professional sports in the last few decades. Sure we can imagine the Super Bowl without those ubiquitous Budweiser spots, but I’m already missing them because---I guess--I expect the worst.

Bud and its ad agencies have given us more than our share of playful and iconic brand emblems, from Clydesdales and Dalmatians to goofy frogs to the “whassup” clan. I’m not a sports junkie by any means, and even less of a beer drinker, but I’m hoping--with a fervor that honestly surprises me--that InBev will honor the Budweiser brand outreach tradition.