Like Me? Follow Me.
Stood at the bus stop, I noticed something familiar about this advert. No, not the bud logo or typeface (I'm not a fan of bland American beer) but something else. Can you spot it?
That's right, there's the little Facebook "f" in the corner.
This is interesting for a few reasons. Taking a branding perspective, there is no mention of Facebook on the advert; there is no context and the full word does not even appear. However, it has already been established that f is for Facebook in the Google instant alphabet and Facebook's estimated 500 million users are, I'm sure, more than familiar with the icon from their tab bars and bookmarks so it's understandable, if a bit arrogant!
It also makes me wonder what the connection is between Facebook and beer. A quick search on Facebook for "Budweiser 66" reveals less than 2000 people have clicked "like" on either the official product page or the press release quoting fan page.
It is obvious why Budweiser would want to associate with a 500 million strong potential user base when they have a new product to promote, however I don't really get what Facebook gain by piggybacking this advert. They don't really gain credibility by the association, Budweiser aim to portray a responsible and wholesome brand profile but involvement in beer advertising when you have a demographic that starts at age 13, seems irresponsible.
Either way, the lack of users clicking "like" shows that at this stage, there is not the groundswell of interest that Budweiser might have anticipated and shows that just by planting an F on a national poster campaign does not equate to an instantly marketable fan base. It also proves that without engagement, without a reason to get involved, social media campaigns, even social media campaigns involving giant brands do not immediately equate to customer interest.
