Budweiser's Super Bowl Ad Sparks Controversy With Craft Beer Makers
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- Budweiser has sparked a firestorm with its Super Bowl ad bashing craft beers.
In the ad, the company proclaims it's proud to be a "macro-brew." But then it goes on to say that it makes beer "that's not to be fussed over" as the audience sees a mustache-wearing man with glasses examining some dark brew.
It goes on to say: "Let them brew their pumpkin peach ale," but that Budweiser will keep brewing its golden suds.
Some in the craft beer industry have taken offense.
"I was watching it as it transpired and was quite surprised to see that," said Andy Kwiatkowski from Hitchhiker Brewing Company, a craft brewery in Mount Lebanon.
He's also president of the Pittsburgh Craft Beer Alliance and believes Budweiser is nervous.
"A market or niche they thought they could ignore for the last 30 years has suddenly come up right behind them, and I think they're definitely a little bit threatened by what went on," said Kwiatkowski.
It's true that overall beer sales are down in America, but craft beer sales are up.
Asa Foster at The Brew Gentlemen, a microbrewery in Braddock, also thinks Budweiser is trying to attack its growing competition.
"The ad was very much not built to try to get craft beer drinkers to try Budweiser. The ad was built to try to get Budweiser drinkers to not try craft beer," he said.
Abita Brewing in Louisiana came out with its own video where it states that they don't make "one-size-fits-all" beer.
It also points out that Abita is American-owned, a jab at Budweiser's foreign ownership.
Despite the controversy, Budweiser's Twitter postings indicate the company is standing behind its campaign.
Watch the Budweiser ad here:
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