WHERE SUCCESSFUL ADVERTISING MEETS LGBTQ+ EQUALITY

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Company: Anheuser-Busch InBev
    View Company Scorecard / Contact Company
Brand: Bud Light
Ad Title: Maid
Business Category: Alcoholic Beverages
Media Outlets: Television
Country: United States
Region: North America
Agency: DDB Needham Worldwide
Year: 2002
Target: Mainstream
Ad Spotter: Delores Fibb
Company: Anheuser-Busch InBev
    View Company Scorecard / Contact Company
Brand: Bud Light
Ad Title: Maid
Business Category: Alcoholic Beverages
Media Outlets: Television
Country: United States
Region: North America
Agency: DDB Needham Worldwide
Year: 2002
Target: Mainstream
Ad Spotter: Delores Fibb
Company: Anheuser-Busch InBev
    View Company Scorecard / Contact Company
Brand: Bud Light
Ad Title: Maid
Business Category: Alcoholic Beverages
Media Outlets: Television
Country: United States
Region: North America
Agency: DDB Needham Worldwide
Year: 2002
Target: Mainstream
Ad Spotter: Delores Fibb
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Theme(s)

Dude Looks Like a Lady

GLBTQ+ Punch Line

Sexual Predator/Practice

Theme Breakdown

AdRespect Score: 
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A woman at home calls her guy at the office and in a suggestive voice says, "Hi, let's play The Stranger."

Intrigued, the man at his desk agrees. She continues, "When someone gets home tonight, someone should be wearing a naughty French maid's outfit, blonde wig and holding a six pack of Bud Light."

Thrilled, he says, "Me likee The Stranger!"

Later, the doorbell rings and she checks her outfit in the mirror. She opens the door and finds her beau has misunderstood her plan -- he's the one wearing the outfit, and not looking so well in it. Both are surprised, and he says, "Oh! You meant...." She closes the door in his face.

Moments later, an older man next door dressed in a red robe opens his door, sees "her" and says, "Well hello stranger!"

The otherwise light-hearted ad does not directly address transsexuals, but rejects cross-gender dressing for men and ads a lecherous, desperate older man who may or may not see through the cross-dressing outfit.

Anheuser-Busch refused to discuss this commercial or its intentions.

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Jonah Falcon , New York City
I don't see how this is offensive. Apparently, the guy's idea of a good time is much different than his girlfriend's! There's no fear here -- apparently, his girlfriend is the one who is upset -- not him!

Lori Buckwalter , Portland, OR
Of course this ad is offensive. It ridicules the idea of cross dressing, and recalls one of the MOST painful experiences of trans people's lives: being rejected by a loved one for "coming out". If you think this is "cute" or innocuous, you're not paying attention.

Artie Fishill , Yaksville, TN
As Willie S. would have said.."Much Ado About Nothing!" Was funny..simple as that. It simply left the "intentions" up to the viewer...

Nicolas Diaz , Granby, CT
This ad has nothing to do with crossdressing and everything to do with the man's dimwittedness. To my mind, she is not upset with him because he is wearing women's clothes, rather she's frustrated that her dope of a lover didn't understand the intent of her provocative phone call.

Jeanine , San Jose, CA
Too bad people are so brain washed by how society dictates men and women should behave. I would have liked to see her welcome him in, take the beer from him, hands him her feather duster and tells him to get to work, she then relaxes with a nice cold beer, while he's looking on with envy and cleaning her house, at the end of the commercial, she might even reward him with a nice cold beer as a reward for work well done. Or at least that's what I would have done ;-)

Jay Charles Johnson , La Crescenta, CA
I also fail to find this offensive. Yes, this ad rejects cross dressing from the girlfriend's perspective, but would it be as funny (or even funny) if she welcomed him with open arms? Would it work, instead, if the ending had them enjoying Bud Light together in the matching maid outfits? I don't think so.

Doug , Dayton, OH
That is hilarious!

Clint Babula , Thunder Bay, Canada
Thank you, Lori Buckwalter, for your comments, which I found very enlightening.

Vanessa McDaniel , Columbus, OH
I don't see it as that offensive either. I don't think they intended this as a commentary on the cross-dressing community. Just typical straight guy having no clue what his woman wants.

Gary Caplan , Baltimore
Oh, this will get a laugh from the general viewing audience. As a gay man, I find the ad to be a stereotypical slur against our non-straight people.

Lindsey Ho , Sacramento, CA
The commercial could acknowledge transgenderism and homosexuality, but it doesn't. The interactions with the wife and with the red-robed guy have the opportunity to educate. Isn't education and acceptance the point of "gay-friendly" ads--or so the companies may say?

Jacob , Dallas, TX
A promising concept, but could have done without the slam in the face and the dirty old man. The commercial would have gone from terrible to neutral if it had ended with a surprised and inquisitive look on the woman's face. But no, Anheuser-Busch must take that extra crushing step and turn a simple and amusing sitcom-like misunderstanding into an implicit "transgender = bad" type message. Blech.

Andrea James , Los Angeles, CA
Miscommunication about kinky sex: funny. Old guy, funny. Wife slamming door, that’s what I wish they wouldn’t have done.

David , Hollywood, CA
Ever think that she slammed the door because he was UGLY as a blonde. If he looked hot, maybe she would have invited him in. Just a thought. So maybe the ad is just uglyphobic. Is there a website for that?

David , Hollywood, CA
Ever think that she slammed the door because he was UGLY as a blonde. If he looked hot maybe she would have invited him in. Just a thought. So maybe the ad is just "uglyphobic." Is there a website for that?

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AdRespect Score:

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