Key facts
| Brand | Budweiser (Anheuser-Busch) |
| Year | 1999/2000 |
| Agency | DDB Chicago (Vinny Warren) |
| Director | Charles Stone III |
| Origin | Short film “True” (1998) |
| Awards | Grand Clio (2000), Cannes Grand Prix, Clio Hall of Fame (2006) |
What is it about and how was it made?
The origin is a short film: Charles Stone III wrote and directed “True” in 1998 with himself and his childhood friends. Vinny Warren of DDB Chicago saw it and recognised its potential for advertising.
Warren pitched the idea to August Busch IV in a Chicago hotel bar in October 1999. Anheuser-Busch licensed the idea from the film’s producers and hired Stone to direct the Budweiser spots.
The first spots aired in December 1999 during Monday Night Football, then in Super Bowl XXXIV in 2000. A sequel followed in 2000 and two more in Super Bowl XXXV (2001).
Read the numbers with care
The Grand Clio went to the original 60-second spot “True” in 2000; the campaign entered the Clio Hall of Fame in May 2006.
What brands can take away (our interpretation)
- A simple, repeatable gesture (a word, a ritual) can be reenacted and spreads by itself.
- Real people and relationships feel more credible than staging. The idea came from a short film, not a brief.
- A good idea is worth licensing: Anheuser-Busch secured the rights instead of imitating it.
Planning your own spot? The TV spot production guide explains the process, the agency brief template helps with the commission.
Sources
- Wikipedia: Whassup?
- Mental Floss: The origins of the famous Budweiser ad
- Just Drinks: Budweiser “Whassup?!” wins Grand Clio
This article only states facts we can substantiate from the sources linked below. The section “What brands can take away” is our own interpretation.