And, Catharine Cody steps into the lurch to provide today’s guest blog. It concerns a salivating new TV spot. See if you agree with her take…

As my Twitter, Facebook and Instagram followers know, I’m a HUGE dog lover.  I have two pups at home that I absolutely adore (one of whom occasionally writes guest blogs for Repman, BTW). And, my family loves dogs so much that my dad even named his firm after our first dog, Pepper.

We’re not alone in our adoration of canines.  According to ABC News, 62 percent of U.S. households have a pet, 32% of which are dogs.  That’s why Budweiser’s latest ad surrounding Global Be(er) Responsible Day really hit home with me.

The Budweiser’s spot portrays a man hanging out with his best friend, an adorable golden retriever, before departing for the night.  The cute pup waits for a very, very long while for his friend to come home (which is what I imagine my dogs do whenever my Dad leaves for work).

At long last, the man arrives after a night of heavy drinking. At the bottom of the screen, a caption reads, “Next time you go out, be sure to make a plan to get home safely. Your friends are counting on you. Enjoy Budweiser responsibly.”

Budweiser REALLY nailed it with this commercial.  Not only are they speaking directly to their beer drinking audience but, critically, also to dog-lovers like me.  In the interests of full transparency, I’ve been known to down a brew or two when the mood strikes. At the moment, I enjoy Miller High Life, PBR and Budweiser.  But, this commercial made me admire Budweiser even MORE (and probably attracted prospective customers who also love their pups). In my opinion, that’s a best practice because it both increases existing customer loyalty while introducing the brand to potentially new consumer segments.

Needless to say, that sort of accomplishment is a very big deal to marketers everywhere.
So, with the weekend fast approaching, let’s raise a glass, and a paw, to this fabulous new campaign.