1. christ, adjab, are you kidding? that spot was disgusting. jack's above comment is right on. but aside from that, it portrays the current US military involvement and US military policy as a spectacle of justice, even heroism- by USING a good looking, multi-racial cast of soldiers. in other words, pull the heart strings of the american people by showing these poor soliders coming from (or going to) battle, skirting the real issue of why they are so sadly loosing their lives in a war that was supposed to be over a year ago. i'd like to know a soldier's opinion...

Posted at 4:22PM on Jun 16th 2005 by palndrom23

2. Yeah, let's not kid ourselves here...the sentiment is great, but the right thing to do would be to not have even put their logo on at the end. Similarly, their ad with the Budweiser clydesdales bowing before the WTC wreckage a few years ago almost made me puke in my mouth...talk about branding that which should not be branded!

Posted at 4:22PM on Jun 16th 2005 by Alan Smithee

3. this ad was cynical, calculated, and the true definition of offensive. using soldiers, or actors playing soldiers, to sell swill. im curious to hear what my friend in iraq has to say about it. he already hates their beer for what it tastes like.

unless youre the armed forces, common decency should tell you you shouldnt exploit soldiers to sell your products.

Posted at 4:22PM on Jun 16th 2005 by m knight

4. I have 2 brothers on their way to Iraq as I write this. Their commercial was very moving. I don't even like A-B beer, but I'm buying a case this week for my poker game on Friday.

The way I see it, if A-B can spend 2 million dollars to tell our troops thank you (during the most expensive advertising time all year), I can spend $30 to let them know I appreciate their concern.

I picked up the point of the ad after about 5 seconds, and remember thinking for the duration of the commercial how unbelievable it was that a company would so something so selfless and how I want to support whatever company that was.

Granted, that's probably what their marketing team told them Americans would think, but with 2 brothers being sent to Iraq, I don't care why A-B did it... I just hope my brothers saw the commercial, too.

Posted at 4:22PM on Jun 16th 2005 by Jason McCombie

5. While I understand Jason's point (as much as I can without knowing anyone close to me who is serving), I have to agree with the majority of comments here. And while I commend the sentiment, I find it disgustingly opportunistic. If A-B really were doing this as some sort of a public tribute, how about Fox give the spot for free, A-B drop the logo and then announce that the two companies were each matching the list price of the spot and buying $2.5 million of armor plating for the Humvees in Iraq?

Also, I think A-B is fully aware that many Americans equate the phrase "support the troops" with "support the war, and I am not even sure what the former really means. Does it mean if we support the troops we don't want them to die? If so, then this is a pointless phrase. Of course we support the troops! To me, this looked like a rather ghoulish commercial for Budweiser.

Posted at 4:22PM on Jun 16th 2005 by Mark Rabinowitz

6. To the cynics: A-B helps the troops in other ways also. They are giving free admission to troops and their families to their amusement parks. And they've donated a million dollars to families who lost loved ones in war. So they've done more for the troops than any of you ever have, and if they want to spend 2.4 million to thank the troops, then God bless them.

Posted at 4:22PM on Jun 16th 2005 by ejw

7. Do you really think that A-B fronting the 2 million for that time slot, then simply showing their logo for 2 seconds with the word thanks is anything to be ashamed of? If they had it superimposed over the entire ad in the corner, or even something resembling traditional advertisment, I'd have been less enthusiastic about the choice, but they didn't even have their typical spoken slogan in the ad. It was plain and simple, thanks from A-B. What would really be great is if this idea/attitude catches on and it actually happens in the airports when our troops come home. They're not over there by choice, It's their job. So regardless of your political convictions, they deserve your support. Thanks to A-B for their tactful way of supporting the troops without making it clear propaganda, and thanks to all of you who act out this commercial in the future. You can show your true feelings about the war and boo when GW speaks at a political rally if you want to, but don't disrespect our troops for doing what they have to do. They deserve much better than that.

Posted at 4:22PM on Jun 16th 2005 by Jason McCombie

8. Who was disrespecting the troops? Politics shouldn't even be coming into play here, it's a matter of good taste. There's nothing wrong with thanking them for the sacrifices they're making abroad but if you don't see that at the heart of that commercial was a ploy to sell beer I feel sorry for you.

Posted at 4:22PM on Jun 16th 2005 by Alan Smithee

9. We all respect and love the troops--I'm sure of that.

Bud giving the slot to saying thank you to them is a nice thing to do, but it would nicer for them to say at the end "Fox and Bud have donated $2.5M each to the troops and families of troops who have not made it back or who were injurded."

I don't think the Bud folks have a sinister plot... but just doing this without doing something else seems like they are taking advantage of the emotion we all feel for people who are risking their lives.

Pony up Bud.

best j

Posted at 4:22PM on Jun 16th 2005 by Jason

10. Ok, not to get into a "who cares more about the troops" pissing match over this, but yes, I think A-B was in the wrong. I think it was cheap, mawkish, opportunistic and mercenary. But let me make this PERFECTLY clear: My feelings about A-B and this ad have NOTHING to do with my feelings about the troops, so to imply that it does is unfair. My criticisms are SOLELY directed towards a corporation that I feel was taking advantage of the situation, much like they did following 9/11. As a downtown Manhattan resident, I didn't appreciate that ad at all.

Again, what do you mean by "they deserve [my] support?" How should I show this support? Are you implying that I should applaud this ad and that if I don't I am somehow against the well-being of our soldiers? I thought my support for the troops was all the more evident when I called on Fox and A-B to donate $5 million to armor up the Humvees so that our soldiers were safer.

Posted at 4:22PM on Jun 16th 2005 by Mark Rabinowitz

11. I am not an idiot, so I know that A-B likes to sell beer. I realize that deep down, they hoped to connect with Americans at a consumer level... But the fact is, the commercial included 53 seconds of selfless support for out troops, fading to the Thank You for 3 seconds, then black, and a fairly small, centered A-B logo for 1 second. That ad could have had the same context, same ending, and been 45 seconds shorter if they wanted to; and it would have got the same point across, but they did it tactfully... So, they spent 1.85 million more than they needed to spend to create and show that commercial, just to make sure it was done "right". I know they also hope people will buy beer because of it, and you know what...I don't care. They're concept sure hit me where it counts...

Posted at 4:22PM on Jun 16th 2005 by Jason McCombie

12. A-B is schizophrenic brand. They solidified that in my mind watching the Super Bowl. They will do anything to sell beer. And EVERYTHING.
This ad is the perfect example of that. OK....we're going to do this...to reach abc...and how 'bout that...to reach def.....
Unbelievable. No brand would be caught dead spending $$$ this way unless they have $$$ to burn.

Posted at 4:22PM on Jun 16th 2005 by Cheyanne Atchley

13. Disgusting? Cynical? Offensive? Yeah, this describes the comments above that are ripping A-B for their ad thanking the troops. This whining would be right at home over at democraticunderground.com. Sheesh! And I love all those who just assume A-B hasn't done anything else for our troops. Just goes to show that no good turn goes unpunished. I'm with Jason. I rarely even drink beer, but I think I'll buy some Budweiser, as well. God bless your brothers, Jason, and keep them and all our troops safe.

Posted at 4:22PM on Jun 16th 2005 by David

14. From a Reuters article on the Super Bowl ads:

"Budweiser did best with the patriotic sentimentality," said [Mark DiMassimo of DiMassimo Carr Brand Advocates]. "In theory, I don't like the idea but it was well done and somehow rang true."

"Somehow" rang true??? Doesn't like the idea "in theory"??? I wonder if he could explain exactly what, in theory, he doesn't like about thanking our troops?

I see in the above comments a lot of cynicism, and maybe A-B did hope to sell a few more beers with this ad, but there is absolutely nothing wrong with saying "thank you." As a vet, with many friends in Iraq now, I found nothing wrong with the ad. One read of some of these comments, and you can see why we need reminding that these guys are sacrificing their lives for our freedom, and half of you don't give a damn.

Posted at 4:22PM on Jun 16th 2005 by Blue

15. Oh no someones exploiting the soldiers - never seen that done before!

...but even so, dear oh dear. I nearly feel like joining in and buying a six pack and shouting out 'Let freedom reign' or someother such nonsense and maybe have the Stars and Bars flying high outside my house to remind my dumbass which county I'm living in.

Posted at 4:22PM on Jun 16th 2005 by Andrew

16. My dad served in WWII, he died 5 years ago. He always said, "I hope they remember". My brother served 4 years, I 51/2, 31/2 overseas before all of this. I can say from personal experience I never experienced while in uniform in the airport what the add showed, though I went thru airports alot. It now happens, and was done in a very tasteful, honorable way. I can now tell my Dad, "Dad, they remember". I loved it, I don't care if it was done by A-B, a food company, a grocery store, any company. They honored our troops and said thank you. That's all they asked....

Bill

Posted at 4:22PM on Jun 16th 2005 by Bill Haler

17. You dudes still don't get it...of course there is absolutely nothing wrong with saying thank you to the troops for a tough job well done (and whether you agree with the war in Iraq or not doesn't/shouldn't even come into it)...there is something wrong with selling beer in a commercial in the guise of saying Thank You. It's branding whether you realize it or not and those of you who will now go out and buy a case of beer because of the ad should remember to take the hook out of your mouth before you drink it. Cynical? Yeah. But when people are trying to sell you something (whether it's beer or WMDs or whatever) via trojan horses such as these, you've got to be.

Posted at 4:22PM on Jun 16th 2005 by Alan Smithee

18. Is it wrong for the evil A-B corporation to show designated driver ads? Is it wrong for the evil A-B corporation to donate a million dollars to the families of fallen servicemen? Should all corporations stop doing all charitable work because it helps sell their product? The people on this thread who are military (or have military family) seem to have appreciated it. Isn't that good enough for you?

Posted at 4:22PM on Jun 16th 2005 by ejw

19. Oy, this is frustrating. The phrase "support the troops" means nothing. EVERYONE here supports the troops. "Support the troops" simply means you hope they do not get injured or killed and that they come home as soon as possible. Who can argue with that? No one is saying that the MESSAGE is wrong, just what we perceive the motives behind that message to be.

Again, no one who is arguing against this ad is saying that the message of "Thank you" is crass. We're saying that USING those images and that message to SELL beer is crass. I will say it again, simply removing the logo and letting the ad stand anonymously would have been fine. Word would have gotten out that AB made the ad, people would have been grateful and the message would STILL have gotten across.

Posted at 4:22PM on Jun 16th 2005 by Mark Rabinowitz

20. I know most (if not all) Americans support our troops even if they don't support the war or the president, so let's just get off that. This is purely a discussion about A-B and their choice of advertising concepts.

Of course A-B hoped their ad would sell beer. But do any of us know that they chose that theme purely to play on our emotions? No. In fact, the CEO, President, or other people in the ad department at A-B may even have relatives in Iraq and this ad might have been created as a true gesture of thanks to all of the soldiers. Can anyone disprove that?

I am simply giving A-B the benefit of the doubt.

With all the talk made here about A-B's intent, I've seen no facts to support any claim...just people assuming the worst and complaining. So how about someone who doesn't believe A-B had good intentions do the research and state some facts. Otherwise, stop whining and drink a beer.

Posted at 4:22PM on Jun 16th 2005 by Jason McCombie