A-B Passes on Jackson Super Bowl Ad Spoof

CHICAGO Anheuser-Busch said it considered running a spot during this year's upcoming Super Bowl that parodies Janet Jackson's infamous "wardrobe malfunction" that took place during the halftime show of last year's game, but decided against it after consultation with Fox and NFL officials. "We basically came to the conclusion at the same time" that the commercial, created by Omnicom Group's DDB in New York, resurrected too many bad memories and therefore shouldn't air during the Super Bowl telecast, said Bob Lachky, vp of brand management and director of global brand creative for A-B. The spot shows a stagehand behind the scenes at Super Bowl 2004. He grabs a bottle of Bud Light and uses a bustier that's hanging up to twist open the top. Doing so tears the bustier's right breast. Panicked, he thinks he's covered his tracks by repairing the bustier with some tape, only to learn otherwise while watching the game and hearing the announcer say "Whoa, that's something you don't see every day."A-B initially considered using the spot for one of its 10 Super Bowl units. However, "we had enough common sense to say, 'Let's talk to our partners,'" Fox and the NFL, to see if they would approve, Lachky said. A mutual decision was reached not to air the ad, he said.The spot is available at www.budweiser.com.While most of its time will be used to back Budweiser and Bud Light with straightforward humor, A-B will run one spot from Omnicom's TBWA\Chiat\Day introducing its low-carb entry Budweiser Select during the Super Bowl, Lachky said.The spot mimics a movie trailer, following the adventures of a man whose hand takes control of his body. "Introducing Budweiser Select, a new kind of beer," says a voiceover. "Brewed for a crisp taste with no aftertaste." Most of A-B's five minutes (10 spots) during the game will back Bud Light and Budweiser, said Lachky. In the second half A-B will run a responsibility spot from DDB Chicago and possibly a spot in the "Smooth but not rich" campaign for Michelob Amber Bock from DDB's New York office.A-B won't finalize its lineup until next week.The best bet for the game is a spot from DDB in Chicago that depicts the Clydesdsales in a snowball fight. Also in consideration are follow-ups to last year's spot from Omnicom's Goodby, Silverstein & Partners, in which a donkey joins the Clydesdales; Goodby produced one follow, as did DDB.Goodby also has a second spot under consideration for A-B's Bud Light brand; creative revolves around the adventures of two would-be home buyers. Also a candidate for the game is work directed by former DDB group cd John Immesoete, who left the agency last year and started his own company called Seed. The spots in consideration, written by Immesoete and crafted through DDB in Chicago, include one starring a tough-talking cockatiel, and another about an older woman driven to new heights in her self-defense class thanks to her love of Bud Light.DDB is also expected to have a spot starring longtime Bud Light pitchman Cedric the Entertainer in the game.Omnicom's Downtown Partners in Toronto and independent Cannonball in St. Louis have spots for Bud Light that are also possibilities, Lachky said.

Brand Marketing

A-B Passes on Jackson Super Bowl Ad Spoof

Trevor Jensen

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Trevor Jensen