Budweiser is frequently known as one of the most popular highest selling beers in the United States

Budweiser is frequently known as one of the most popular highest selling beers in the United States, however most people are not aware of the message they link with drinking a Budweiser. In their Super Bowl commercial, “Lost Dog” it is given that your “buds” will always be there for you, in other words Budweiser is always there for you. In 2015 during the Super Bowl viewers were able to see a different perspective of Budweiser when they casted their commercial of the lost dog. Budweiser uses the three modes of persuasion, appealing at the audience’s emotions (pathos), giving them logical reasons (logos), and while creating credibility (ethos).
Budweiser’s lost dog commercial displays a minute long emotional roller coaster that starts off with a special friendship between a dog, a horse, and an owner who never want to be separated. Budweiser uses pathos as their main rhetorical device throughout their commercial by creating an emotional response from their audience. Having the commercial start off with the labrador coming out from under the hay signals the viewer’s emotions right away making you fall in love with the puppy. Budweiser quickly pulls on your heartstrings when the puppy jumped into a car that is about to leave the farm and go to an unknown destination. Budweiser adds an emotion of sadness not only seen through the owners face as he passes out flyers with his lost dog on them, but even more when the owner is trying to put the horse back in his cage and the horse is refusing and you can hear the sadness in his nays. This patho of sadness is what gives this commercial firepower because not only is it seen through a person, but it is seen through an animal which shows how much they both care about the puppy. Budweiser once again creates fear in the viewer’s mind when the little puppy is approached by a big, angry wolf that looks like he needs a bite to eat. As our hearts all begin to drop, thankfully, the puppy is saved by his best friend, the horse. The commercial then ends with a scene of all three of the best buds hanging out while the owner enjoys a fresh Budweiser.
The use of logos appeals to the logic and reasoning behind what is being advertised. In this commercial Budweiser gets their audience to think that maybe if they buy a Budweiser then they will be closer with their friends over a nice cold beer. The commercial shows the audience to see Budweiser as an image that can be linked with pride and trustworthiness. The last scene of the owner, the horse, and the dog creates an image of friendship. The man is holding a Budweiser introducing the idea being that your friends always have your back and the best thing to have with your friends is a Budweiser. The logo that is shown at the end of the ad causes the viewers to relate the Budweiser brand to the happiness the reunion brought from the owner, horse, and dog. Therefore, the happiness makes the viewer more willingly to buy their product. The undertone of the hashtag “#BestBuds” is directed toward the owner, puppy, and horse, despite that it is also sending the implied message that alcohol (Budweiser) can be your best friend. Which as a result, implies the message that Budweiser can bring you happiness and friendship.
The rhetorical device ethos plays a very important role in our perception of whether or not the information being presented to us is dependable. Ethos deals with the credibility of the speaker or product and this often is very influential towards our first impression as well as our lasting impression. In the 2015 Budweiser “lost dog” commercial, the use of a labrador puppy contributes to the credibility of this advertisement; in a most basic sense, a dog symbolizes a man’s best friend. The actual speaker is not the puppy yet Budweiser itself because there is no spoken language, advertisers use the labrador as the face of the commercial to make sure the audience feels willingly to trust and believe what is being demonstrated to them.
Budweiser successfully persuades their viewers through the rhetorical devices in making their viewers to fall in love with not only their beer but their idea of sharing a Budweiser with their best buds. Budweiser using all the three modes of persuasion; pathos, logos, and ethos to expand their target audience in reaching everyone and not just those of the age to drink. Making Budweiser one of a kind in the aspect in being able to persuade and appeal to everyone’s emotions through logical reasoning and credibility. Using a mixture of these rhetorical elements proved to be a very effective way for Budweiser to present a meaningful message to their audience.