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Beer ads are cool. They have always been among the funniest and most inventive advertising vehicles. From Budweiser to Miller and Heineken, the brands compete with each other for the most creative commercials. We’re continuing our tradition of honoring the best beer ads of all time with this updated list. Raise your glasses and watch these awesome videos.
1. King Crab (2007) – Budweiser
Why: Budweiser always knew how to produce a memorable Super Bowl ad. King Crab is among their finest. Because how could you even come up with such an idea in the first place? “We will have crabs worshipping the Bud cooler that has a shadow in the shape of a giant crab.” Brilliant. And a little bit WTF too.
The ad is breezy and sunny. It has a perfect tropical backdrop that immediately fills you with a desire to lounge on the sandy beach with a cold beer in hand. Preferably Bud. Crabs would have to go, though, there are too many.
2. Hitchhiker (2007) – Budweiser
Why: 2007 was a fruitful year for fantastic beer ads. “Hitchhiker” is a legendary commercial that coined the phrase “But… he has Bud Light!” The couple is driving at night. There’s a hitchhiker requesting a ride. All is good except the fact that he’s holding an axe. The girlfriend is against picking him up, but the boyfriend is hesitant. “But he has a Bud Light,” he keeps saying. Finally, the pair stops and asks the man what he has an axe for. “It’s a can opener.” The next thing we know, the pair is joined by the axe man in the car.
But the night doesn’t stop there. Another hitchhiker appears on the horizon, also with a Bud Light. “But he has a chainsaw,” proclaims the axe man. Probably, that one doesn’t get a ride.
Overall, the “Hitchhiker” is among the best beer ads ever with fantastic storytelling and a memorable premise.
3. Cry, Rex (2000) – Budweiser
Why: Bud is on top of the absurdist humor in “Cry, Rex.” One of the best beer ads of all time, it features a cute dog star actor who has a problem acting sad. He’s doing a Western film and the scene includes crying after the demise of the main protagonist. But our fluffy Rex is pure cuteness and can’t have a proper cry.
To get the tears rolling, the director asks Rex to relive the saddest moment in the dog’s life. We see our four-legged chasing a Budweiser truck until he jumps right into another car parked next to the garden. The cry of sadness follows, the movie is done, and everyone on the set is happy. But poor Rex had to go through that again.
4. Separated at birth (1999) – Budweiser
Why: can beer ads make you cry? Watch “Separated at birth” to find out. This Bud commercial is about two Dalmatian dogs that are taken to different families as puppies. One of them sticks out his tongue saying goodbye. 2 years pass and fate brings them together again. The first is driving in the backseat of the car. Another is on top of a Clydesdales-driven Budweiser carriage. The latter sticks his tongue out and we know it’s that pup all grown up. Tears are rolling, sorry.
5. Instant Replay (2003) – Budweiser
Why: before giving the world half-naked Spartans and Batman v Superman, Zack Snyder was directing commercials. One of them, the 2003 Super Bowl classic Instant Replay has become an instant beer ads classic. It captures a moment in a game between two teams of Clydesdales. But the referee is a… zebra and it is checking the replay to see if the original call was correct. Oh, and they play in the middle of a snowy field. There are also two men watching all of this calmly. Just another day in Wyoming we guess.
6. Beer Chase (2012) – Carlton Draught
Why: Australia has a say in the battle for the best beer ad of all time too. The 2012 “Beer Chase” is that commercial. Carlton Draught has imagined a story of misfits who run from the police without losing a drop of beer. The action is set to the nostalgic ‘80s tune and features lots of twists and turns. This is how a good beer ad should be like and Carlton Draught shows its creative teeth to the beer ads behemoth Bud with the beer chase.
7. Worth The Wait (2021) – Heineken
Why: the celebrity beer ads may often be hit and miss, but with “Worth the wait” Heineken has raised the bar. Here we have James Bond enjoying his drink of choice in some classy-looking establishment. And no, it’s not a “stirred, not shaken” martini cocktail. It’s a bottle of Heineken, guys.
Once you’ve seen Agent 007 himself pouring a glass, how can you possibly resist doing the same? With this “No time to die” collab, Heineken produced one of the best celebrity beer ads.
Here’s our previous list of the best beer ads of all time
Beer ads have always been a staple of advertising. From the very dawn of marketing, this drink has been enjoying the special attention of marketers and consumers. Not hard enough for prohibitions but not light enough for kid-friendliness, the beer has managed to be in the prime time of major TV events for almost a century. It’s time to have a list of the best beer ads of all time. Here it is.
1. “The Most Interesting Man in The World” – Dos Equis
Why: not every beer ad sparks a whole subsection of memes. Dos Equis’ “The Most Interesting Man” long-running campaign did. While the company can’t show the Budweiser level of advertising impact, it still has a firm place among the most memorable and iconic ad placements of all time. There are even articles on the internet with a collection of quotes from the commercials. That’s how you know that the copywriting was amazing. It’s also about that manly charisma bordering self-deprecation of the leading actor Jonathan Goldsmith that helped The Most Interesting Man in The World ads climb the beer advertising pantheon.
2. “This Bud’s For You” (1979) – Budweiser
Why: raise your glasses to this 1979 American classic. This Bud’s For You commercial is narrated by Lou Rawls and depicts the working class doing their daily jobs. Also, it features probably the tastiest shot of a beer of all time. No, really, that foam going down that glass induces an irresistible urge to have a drink. Fortunately, this bud’s for you and me and everyone really. Cheers!
3. “Budweiser Frogs” (1995) – Budweiser
Why: “It’s damn near 30 years later and I still think about this every once in a while. I was only 7 at the time.” says the top comment on the YouTube video of this legendary ad and you can already feel the impact. Directed by Gore Verbinsky (yes, the one behind The Pirates of the Caribbean), the commercial features puppet frogs named “Bud”, “Weis”, and “Er”. What do they do? They just say their names in the swamp in front of a Budweiser bar. With a running time of just 30 seconds, it has been able to leave a mark on the imagination of the 90s generation and became one of the most recognizable beer ads of all time.
4. “1 Second Ad” (2009) – Miller
Why: here it is in all the beer advertising glory. You watch the Super Bowl in 2009, the ads come and there’s Windell Middlebrooks shouting “High Life” for 1 second and it ends. Wait, what? That’s exactly how the audience felt back then. And that’s exactly why the ad worked and subsequently became one of the most talked about placements of all time. Also, it increased Miller sales by 8.6% so Saatchi & Saatchi’s calculation definitely worked.
5. “Bud Ice Penguin” (1996) – Budweiser
Why: Budweiser has something for animals. And they are able to use them to the full extent in their iconic beer ads. Here’s the one with the penguin. If you grew up in the 90s you might remember them perfectly. A bit creepy, a bit unsettling but in this weird SuperBowl weird ad way, these commercials became a sign of the times. They were shot in a very cinematic manner and always featured that scary damn penguin. But looking back at them now you can’t help but feel the warmth of the better times.
6. “Wassup!” (2000) – Budweiser
Why: nothing more to add here. Just “wassuuuuuuuuuuup!”. Budweiser has made it again. It’s an ad impossible to get out of your head. It’s the ad that transcends the realm of marketing and becomes a part of the real world. It’s a masterpiece of behavioral advertising, the top of tops where the marketer can reach with his vision. Is it annoying? Absolutely. Is it inevitably catchy? That too. You just can’t escape it. You want to fight this desire deep inside you. That strong urge. To say “WASSSSSUUUUUP”.
7. “Brad Pitt ad” (2005) – Heineken
Why: our personal favorite from all beer ads of all time. Because what can be more iconic than a David Fincher-directed Heineken ad with Brad Pitt? It has been relevant in 2005, and it is still relevant in 2023, that’s what star power looks like. Also, it is absolutely flawless, superbly shot, and cool as hell.
The plot is simple. Brad Pitt doesn’t have any Heineken beer left in the fridge. And he wants some, the evening is a lonesome one. What would Brad Pitt do? That’s right, go to the neighborhood store to buy some. The problem? Paparazzis are not sleeping this evening. They want to photograph him. They want it so badly that chasing Pitt becomes a sort of zombie apocalypse. But a helpful neighborhood store employee shows the movie star a back door and Brad calmly walks back to his apartment, Heineken pack in hand. Paparazzi have to wait for another chance.
