FR EXCLUSIVE: Superbowl -- "The Commercial" honoring the troops

spokesperson for Anheuser Busch | 2-7-05 | dfu

[doug from upland]

This morning I spoke with a representative of Anheuser Busch about their Superbowl commercial. First, here is some background.

In a club in San Bernardino with a couple hundred Marines, wives, and friends, I watched the Superbowl. I fought back a tear at the bar as I watched the commercial that honored the troops. The Marines in that club felt proud. They appreciate knowing that we appreciate what they do for us. Hell, just buying them beer to show appreciation made them feel good.

In the 1981 Champsionship Game (not Superbowl), Joe Montana engineered an 89-yard drive at the end of the game to defeat Dallas. Dwight Clark capped it off with a leaping 6-yard reception in the end zone to advance to the Superbowl. In post season lore, it became known simply as "The Catch."

In 1986, John Elway led his team on a 98-yard march that tied Cleveland in the Championship Game. The Broncos won in overtime. It became known simply as "The Drive."

As we watched the standout commercial of troops in the airport being cheered on in the terminal as they arrived home, we hope the moment will create its own Superbowl lore. May it forever be known simply as "The Commercial."

The representative of Anheuser Busch was kind enough to return my call. I wanted to know who was behind the brilliant commercial. They will be putting out a press release today because they have received more media inquiries than they can possibly field.

Here is some of the information. The commercial was filmed at LAX. Yes, those were real military personnel from various branches who have served in Iraq. According to the spokesperson, the response to the commercial has been overwhelming and positive.

They really did something special this time. Thanks, Anheuser Busch. I will remember Superbowl 39 not for a hard fought close game, but for "The Commercial."

[knittnmom]

Thanks for posting The Commercial.

[OldFriend]

LOLOL....oh I missed the commercial with the white cat...please please describe.

[boxerblues]

When R&R was first instituted the guys were plucked out the desert dirt & grim inclued and thrown on a plane home. They are no longer allowed to fly home like that. Either they keep one set of DCU clean and unworn (hard to do when they only issue you 2 sets) or purchase new before going home. If they are lucky enough to be in Kuwait long enough waiting for a flight they can get them cleaned and pressed, but much easier to purchase new just no time to sew on patches.

[Ryan Spock]

If they were real soldiers, why didn't they have any patches or ranks or name tags on any of their uniforms?

There are specific military regulations governing proper and improper use of the uniform. Using the uniform for commercial purposes is among those that are restricted. They can wear a stripped-down likeness, but not the full official uniform.

[freedumb2003]

Will we see a new mental crisis for those affected by "the commercial"

Freedom Under Conquestadors and Killers Emascualtion Myopia.

[Revelation 911]

I saw the ad - and while its intent is surely heartfelt - I think everyone needs to remember why companies advertise.

Id think it a lot less crass if they skipped the AB logo altogether, lest they be accused of marketing beers off patriotic stirrings (however justified)

[doug from upland]

Companies try to give the public what they want. That is good for the bottom line. In this case, they succeeded big time.

[governsleastgovernsbest]

I don't want to be negative, but that's what struck me while watching it during the game last night. To test my impression, I went to a link on the thread and watched the commercial again. Sure enough, a majority of the soldiers featured in closeups were women.

[day10]

It was a great. One of the soldiers stopped and talked to my sons for a couple of minutes - their eyes were big like saucers. Just a very cool experience.

[Ryan Spock]

BTW, in the Army the specific regulation is AR 670-1, I believe. I qualify that with "I believe" because I've been out for several years and things may have changed, but that's probably still accurate.   :-)

[Lost Highway]

Next beer I buy will be a Bud.

[Indy Pendance]

My daughter left with 4 sets of DCU's.

[doug from upland]

I was drinking Bud Light. :)

[GSWarrior]

"They may have been real troops, but the commercial was staged. They weren't returning from combat," the detractors will shriek, further revealing the depth of their character and intelligence.

[doug from upland]

Let the weenies whine. They will whine no matter what happens. If Osama is killed tomorrow, a drunken lifeguard will stand up in the senate and say we should have gotten him at Tora Bora. Also, a sedated rich b*tch will say the same thing from a mansion, yacht, or private jet.

[doug from upland]

THE HUG, THE COMMERCIAL. One more and thousands jump off the Golden Gate. Come on, let's have one more. Quick.

[wayoverontheright]

I travel by air a lot, and last December I flew from Lynchburg to Greensboro, then to Atlanta. Upon leaving Lynchburg, knowing that I would see many military personnel in the airport, I vowed to myself that I was going to stop some soldier, any soldier, and tell him that I appreciate his service. I mentally rehearsed my words on the way to Greensboro. You will not find anyone more appreciative of their service for reasons we don't need to go into here, but suffice it to say, I was motivated.

I got to Greensboro, which was teeming that morning with military.

I couldn't bring myself to do it.

I don't know why, I'm not a shy person, it's just that I would have had to be an interruption to them, or maybe I felt I would get some sort of retort which I wouldn't understand, I simply don't know why I couldn't find the words at that time.

I went on to Atlanta and there, on an escalator going up, with service men and women beside me, above me and below me, I somehow manged to blurt out a heartfelt and simple...."please excuse me....but....I would just like to thank you for your service."

There was a moment of delay, but then a crescendo of slow developing smiles, and a heart warming volley of "you're welcome sir", and "think nothing of it, sir", and "my pleasure, sir".

The result was so self-propagating that I found it difficult to stop from there on. I thanked them in the hotel that day, and in both airports on the return to Lynchburg.

I say this because I have never SEEN anyone else do this, I have heard of people giving up first class seats, etc., but I've never seen this happening.

I truly loved this commercial, but the truth is, what is depicted in the commercial is at best not happening enough, and I'm afraid, probably not happening the way the commercial depicted it, at all. I know that a lot of people feel the same way I do about the military, but until you try to blurt those words out, it is a very difficult thing for most of us to do.

Maybe the best result of the commercial will be to give us all more confidence to thank them when we see them, because if I'm right, the commercial simply won't get the job done, our soldiers deserve a thank you which is not staged.

[speed_addiction]

I watched this commercial with my daughter, Jazz (wounded and blinded in one eye in Bagdad last summer), my girlfriend, her dad and several of her uncles. Everyone of us a war vet. Pamana, Desert Storm, Somalia for me. Iraq for Jazz. Desert Storm for Yvette my girlfriend. Vietnam for her dad and uncles. We were all really touched and shed more than one tear together. Her dad said, "Times do change." Except for bitter, hateful hold-outs on DU, they have.

[AlaskaErik]

The Rodents in the Underground are totally offended at the patriotism shown in the Superbowl program.

Well, they would have been even more offended had they been to where I saw the game. Our union had a meeting and lunch and then we settled down to watch the game in an old theater. When the National Anthem was played, everyone in the building stood up just as if they were at the game. Keep up the anti-American hatred Rats, pretty soon you'll have only the teacher's and professor's unions left in your camp.