SHUT THE @#$% UP
I saw the funniest TV ad yesterday for Budweiser. It is about the simple concept of a swear jar in an office setting. When I think of a swear jar I think of it as being a tactic for young people to stop swearing and the fact that the swear jar has made it into to the office is funny in and of itself.
The funny twist put on the idea of a swear jar in the office is that it has the complete opposite effect. Everybody starts swearing including the boss because they all know that when the jar is full they will be rewarded for their foul mouths.
Another aspect that makes this commercial so funny is the situations in which foul language is being used. The characters are using swear words every chance they get adding to the humor.
The last point I want to make about the ad’s humor is that the “bleeps” themselves are funny. The usage of profanity on TV is still considered to be taboo, yet Budweiser is obviously well aware of the implications, which comes off as poking fun at the institution of censorship.
One thing that I want to discuss is why the ad does not air on TV. One reason would be that the “bleeps” are hardly censoring the word and the whole premise of the ad is based on swearing.
I think that if Budweiser had made an uncensored version it would not have been so successful because the ad plays off the idea that profanity is so prohibited on TV. Also it’s probably because it would be just flat out distasteful for a respectable company to be using profanity just for the HELL of it.
