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Budweiser Says Hello?!
How a beer brand went viral before going viral was cool
Ali Kaltman
June 30, 2024
Brand: Budweiser
Campaign: Whassup?!
Read time: 5 minutes
💬 Overview 💬
In honor of 4th of July week, we’re bringing back a very special vintage campaign:
The journey of Whassup might actually surprise you…
The expression wasn’t invented by the Bud brand team, but actually a short film titled "True," written and directed by Charles Stone III.
The film features a group of friends (including Stone) watching sports, having a good time, and repeatedly saying, “Whassup?”
An exec at C&C Storm films found it and brought it to the creative director of another ad agency, DDB.
And DDB absolutely got it.
They then pitched the idea to August Busch IV, VP of Anheuser-Busch.
And Busch was immediately in on the idea, too, licensing the concept from C&C Storm films.
💙 The Branded Moment 💙
And the “Whassup” campaign was born.
The first Budweiser “Whassup?” commercial aired during Monday Night Football in December 1999.
And it didn’t take long before it became THAT commercial.
If unfamiliar, the ad features a bunch of friends saying “Whassssssup” to each other back and forth on the phone. [Linked Here]
Nothing crazy.
No major celebs. No theatrics.
Just friends being friends.
And the impact?
The phrase “Whassup” transcended advertising to become a cultural movement…
💡 Results 💡
Let’s take a trip back to 1999…
The same year “Fight Club” was released and “All Star” by Smash Mouth topped the charts…
Back then, success wasn’t measured by social media impressions or reddit threads.
Crazy enough, the “Whassup?” campaign spread organically through email chains, instant messaging, and fan parodies…
The phrase became SO ingrained in everyday language that it was even referenced by celebrities INCLUDING a speech by none other than President Clinton.
The campaign also won prestigious awards, including a Cannes Grand Prix and a Grand Clio.
But MOST importantly, sales surged by over 15%…
🎬 Take Action 🎬
Colloquialisms.
What are your consumers saying?
No… but what are they really saying?
Forget about a feedback form or survey.
How are they commenting on your TikTok? How do they speak to their friends?
What are words, phrases, and sounds that you keep hearing again and again?
Don’t ignore it. RUN WITH IT.
That’s Whassup.
What’s New This Week
One new product I tried this week 👉 Chomps Ok I get the hype. It’s good! Very good.
One new campaign I’m loving 👉 SKIMS Olympic Line It feels like they can do no wrong
One brand account to follow 👉 Grillo’s Pickles It’s just pickles. And fun.
Brandkeeping
If you enjoyed this newsletter, please forward it on to 3 marketers you know!
And if you have a brand or campaign you want to spotlight, please reply directly to this newsletter.
Let’s chat!
See ya!
Ali
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