Budweiser proves you don’t need puppies or Clydedales for an emotional Super Bowl ad. And in today’s political climate — where the idea that an immigrant is of questionable value to the United States is raised by certain people in the White House — the commercial is a sharp, patriotic jab to the gut.
Released online before Sunday’s Super Bowl LI broadcast, “Born the Hard Way” is a 60-second story of immigrants, namely one Adolphus Busch, a brewmaster from Germany who makes a perilous journey to America in the mid-1800s. Confronted by anti-immigrant bias and overcoming tremendous adversity, he manages to work his way to St. Louis, where he joins forces with another immigrant, Eberhard Anheuser. The rest, as they say, is history.
Of course, the company’s press release does not overtly emphasize the commercial’s timely political nature. “This commercial shows the start of Budweiser’s journey, and while it is set in the 1800’s, it’s a story we believe will resonate with today’s entrepreneurial generation — those who continue to strive for their dreams,” Vice President of Budweiser, Ricardo Marques said in a press release .
But the short film’s message — beyond selling beer — cannot be ignored. Directed by Chris Sargent and filmed in New Orleans, the commercial reminds us that, yes, immigrants — including brewmasters — are who have always made America great.
