New Scaly Stars Are Born in Bud Ad

A new spot for Budweiser from Goodby, Silverstein & Partners-San Francisco brings us back to the swamp where we hear the croaking of the famous frogs. Perched on a rock is Louie the Lizard, who commiserates with another animatronic lizard about a failed audition to replace the Bud-wei-ser frogs. “We had the look,” Louie says. “We did the tongue thing. . . . We could have been big.” Louie’s companion is more pragmatic: “Frogs sell beer. It is the No. 1 rule of marketing.” The spot picks up where the frogs left off, lending a certain hipness to the Budweiser brand. Anheuser-Busch may get some flak from anti-alcohol activists for featuring in an ad another spokesanimal that could appeal to kids. But the spot, a spoof on advertising, is probably too sophisticated for kids. $$$