Budweiser Frogs
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The Budweiser Frogs are three life-like puppet frogs named "Bud", "Weis", and "Er", who began appearing in American television commercials for U.S. Budweiser Beer during Super Bowl XXIX. They are part of one of the most well-known international alcohol advertising campaigns. They were created by Tom DeCerchio, the director of Celtic Pride.
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[edit] Bud, Weis, and Er
The commercial began with a scene of a swamp at nighttime, and a close-up of Bud rhythmically croaking his name. Later Weis and Er join in, thus forming the Budweiser name. The camera pulls back to show a bar with a large neon Budweiser sign glowing in the night. The commercial is often listed among the best Super Bowl advertisements in history, ranking at #5 at MSNBC's list [1]
[edit] Louie, Frankie, and the Ferret
Perhaps sensing that the frogs' limited vocabulary could restrict the ad campaign's popularity, new creatures began making appearances in the swamp. Beginning at Super Bowl XXXII, two wisecracking chameleons (who spoke with Brooklyn accents) made their debut. Louie was irritated by the frogs' incessant croaking, and jealous of their success, while Frankie was his more rational, even-tempered friend. Frankie apparently socialized with the frogs and was puzzled by Louie's animosity towards them.
Later installments in the series documented Louie's enlisting the assistance of an inept ferret hit man to do away with the frogs by attempting to electrocute them. The plan failed, but it left Weis suffering from a nervous breakdown. Much to Frankie's surprise, Louie got the chance to replace Weis in the Bud-Weis-Er cheer, but the frogs had a surprise of their own in store, and gave Louie a good tongue-lashing...literally! The frogs then reveal to Louie that they can speak with a complete vocabulary and knew all along about his plot against them.
By this time, audiences had fallen in love with the antics of the bickering Budweiser Lizards, who had eclipsed the frogs in popularity. The duo continued appearing in television and radio advertisements well into the 2000s. With the frogs no longer appearing, radio commercials centered on Louie's inability to find a date, and Frankie's belief that Louie was simply trying too hard to impress.
[edit] Trivia
- One of the most widely circulated computer virus hoaxes of the late 1990s warned of a Budweiser Frogs screen saver that concealed a virus that deleted the entire contents of the computer's hard drive. See BUDSAVER.EXE. (Details at Snopes.com)
- The Budweiser Lizards have been depicted in special paint schemes on Budweiser-sponsored NASCAR race cars and in neon signs displayed in tavern windows.
- In one Simpsons episode, the advertising campaign is satirized. The three frogs get to say their names twice, but after the second "Weis", before "Er" can say his name, a giant alligator emerges from the swamp and eats them all in one bite, after which he proudly exclaims: "Coors!"
- The temperance-oriented Center for Science in the Public Interest waged a campaign to censor the popular frogs.
