2017 Super Bowl Commercials - Responses to Trump's Proposed Wall
During the 2017 Super Bowl, several brands used their commercial platforms to make sociopolitical statements about Trump's proposed wall on the United States-Mexico border. These commercials were polarizing - some audience members praised them for bringing awareness to an important issue, while others believed the companies overstepped. Below are three Super Bowl 2017 commercials.
84 Lumber - 'The Journey Begins'
84 Lumber released perhaps the most controversial commercial of the 2017 Super Bowl. The ad portrays a Mexican mother and daughter trying to cross the border to the United States. The commercial opens with the mother and daughter hugging their family and friends goodbye, humanizing the pair and making the audience root for them. After overcoming obstacle after obstacle, the pair reach the border only to find an enormous concrete wall blocking them from the opportunities on the other side. The commercial displays the disappointment of the daughter and the absolute heartbreak of the mother, pulling on all the audience's heartstrings.
This commercial was extremely controversial. Fox agreed to air less than a minute of it, and then posted the full video on its website. Viewers on the other hand went crazy for the video; in fact, the lumber company's website had so many hits that the site crashed. With the slogan "The will to succeed is always welcome here" at the end of the commercial, the company's goal was to communicate "that America is the land of opportunity and 84 Lumber is the company of opportunity."
Coca Cola - 'America the Beautiful'
Coca Cola took a different approach to their commercial, commenting on the multiculturalism of the United States, and suggesting that Trump's efforts to decrease immigration go against the beautiful diversity of the United States. The commercial features people of all backgrounds and ethnicities all sharing Coke, as "America the Beautiful" is sung in a variety of languages and voices.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xYVu7tRXuoM&list=RDxYVu7tRXuoM&t=26
Like 84 Lumber's commercial, the Coke commercial provoked extreme reactions. While some viewers praised the diversity shown in the ad, others argues that "America the Beautiful" should be sung in English, the "language of America." Here are some twitter responses to the ad.
Despite the negative comments, Coke's sales spiked, a testament to the company's willingness to stand up against Trump's proposed wall and immigration policy changes.
Budweiser - 'Born the Hard Way'
Budweiser takes yet another approach to the immigrant question. The company's commercial tells the story of Adolphus Busch, the founder of Budweiser. Originally from Germany, Busch traveled to the United States and settled in St. Louis, where he founded a brewing company. The commercial shows Busch jumping off a burning ship and trudging through freezing forests to follow his dream. Throughout the video, his identity is questioned and he is told to "go home," but none of these threats dissuade Busch.
Although this ad was more subtly tied to current issues as an effort to be discreet, it still received pushback due to the timing. Many Trump supporters made clear that they noticed the political message, calling for a boycott of Budweiser.
Although Budweiser shied away from confirming direct links to current immigration questions, the company revealed in a news release that it hoped the commercial would “resonate with today’s entrepreneurial generation — those who continue to strive for their dreams.”
Sources:
http://ew.com/tv/2017/02/05/super-bowl-coke-commercial-inclusion/
http://fortune.com/2017/02/05/budweiser-super-bowl-commercial-immigration-boycott/
http://www.businessinsider.com/coke-pre-game-america-the-beautiful-super-bowl-ad-has-aired-before-2017-2
https://www.rollingstone.com/tv/news/watch-rejected-84-lumber-super-bowl-ad-with-trump-border-wall-w465106
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/food/wp/2017/02/01/budweiser-uses-a-super-bowl-ad-to-tell-an-obscure-immigrant-story-its-own/?utm_term=.92b13c79155c