Once more with feeling! Anheuser-Busch CEO Brendan Whitworth said that he is going on a listening tour and a new summer commercial will be coming out to try to win back customers. I don’t know if he has packed up the car and hit the road yet but the new commercial is out.

Crack a cold one, y’all.

Crack a cold one: we've got an epic summer ahead. Sock tans included. pic.twitter.com/CGRCvkHC60

— Bud Light (@budlight) June 22, 2023

Here’s the thing. I like the late 80s soundtrack. The commercial itself? Not so much. There is not a hint of the alphabet brigade in this one but there is an abundance of white people who are clumsy. There is a lot of falling down and dropping things. Coolers and a keg, people walking barefoot on hot pavement. Standard fare for a big outdoor summer get-together. It just doesn’t seem to mesh together. Maybe I just expected more. Remember when beer commercials were entertaining? Yeah, bring them back.

Bring back Spuds MacKenzie.

Three months into a self-inflicted disaster of a public relations problem with its customers and the brand still isn’t sticking a landing. The first commercial that was supposed to bring back customers was just insulting. It was a phony looking patriotic commercial and it was almost a mockery of past commercials that were so all-American that people would tune in to the Super Bowl and other events to see them. Everyone loves the Clydesdale horses, national treasures. And that Dalmatian dog? Adorable.

It’s not the worst commercial I’ve ever seen, far from it. It’s just not what it should be. This company used to know how to make commercials.

There was an abundance of disgruntled social media users weighing in. The Babylon Bee managing editor spoke for many on Twitter. The beer company is trying too hard. Daily Caller Editor-in-Chief Geoffrey Ingersoll offered some advice.

You’re getting brigaded for this and for good reasons, guys, but also, on its merits, the commercial is dumb. A super cut of dudes embarrassing themselves in front of other people? Have you learned nothing?

Go back to the 90s and mine your old content.

Do a condensed version of… https://t.co/q1Dj3PoQIV

— Geoffrey Ingersoll (@GPIngersoll) June 22, 2023

I watched it several times. I kept thinking I must be missing the message. I don’t think there is a message. It’s just a beer commercial that looks a lot like clips from America’s Funniest Videos. Is this enough to make former customers think it’s time to buy Bud Light this weekend? I don’t think so. You can substitute any beer can or bottle in that ad and it wouldn’t matter. There is no message. It doesn’t scream, “Please come back to Bud Light.” A 23-year-old created the Spuds MacKenzie campaign. Maybe Anheuser- Busch should get a few young guys together and let them do the next commercial.

Anheuser-Busch put out a press release Thursday explaining that singers and celebrities will make surprise appearances in upcoming commercials. Plus there will be chances to win tickets and money, too.

“Easy to Summer” will kick off with the brand’s largest media spend to date – starting with the new commercial airing today. Bud Light is making this the biggest summer campaign ever by bringing all the summer backyard fun straight to fans by:

– Offering lucky fans the chance to win tickets to the local shows on the Backyard Tour and experience your favorite artists

– Giving away $10K weekly to make summer easy to enjoy and stock up for all the backyard parties

– Covering the beer tab where consumers scan for a chance to win $100 toward their tab

– Offering rebates over July 4th weekend to help keep summer easy

To tee up the upcoming NFL season, Bud Light is also calling on NFL superstars Travis Kelce, George Kittle and Dak Prescott for more backyard fun. These players will star in new creative in advance of the NFL season and show up for 21+ fans all summer long. Whether it is Travis Kelce lounging in the backyard, George Kittle finding his Sunday best, or Dak Prescott and his neighbors admiring his perfectly mowed lawn, Bud Light and their NFL partners help make summer easy. Fans won’t just have the chance to see these stars in new content, but will also have the chance to win signed memorabilia from Travis Kelce, George Kittle and Dak Prescott to get ready for the start of the NFL season.

We’ll see how all that goes for them.