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5 Patriotic Television Ads We Love

The article highlights five patriotic television ads from American brands Budweiser, Jeep, Levi’s, Coca-Cola, and Jack Daniel’s, detailing how each uses emotional and nationalistic themes—such as Budweiser’s tribute to military families, Jeep’s Super Bowl anthem visual, and Levi’s post-financial crisis poetic campaign—to create strong consumer connections while also providing advertising spend statistics for 2019.

Jeep, Levi’s, Coca-Cola, Jack Daniel’s, and Budweiser are all American brands that have used patriotic themes in their advertising. While patriotic advertising may not always be effective, it can foster a strong consumer association between a product and the best of America when done right. Here are five standout patriotic ads:

1. Budweiser | Service Never Stops

This five-minute video, published in 2018, highlights Budweiser’s charitable giving by focusing on the families of fallen and disabled service members. Real participants are interviewed, creating an emotional moment that also positions Budweiser’s Freedom Reserve.

Budweiser Advertising Stats:

  • From January to May 2019, Budweiser spent over $24 million on advertising across TV, digital, newspaper, magazine, and Snapchat.
  • Q3 is the most active period for beer, wine, and spirits industry RFPs, and Budweiser’s ad spend is expected to reflect that.

2. Jeep | The Star-Spangled Banner

Ahead of the 2019 Super Bowl, Jeep released a digital ad featuring OneRepublic singing the national anthem. The ad uses a word-by-word visual representation of the anthem, with scenes of military service members, baseball, and city life. Jeep vehicles are cleverly featured during lines like “through the perilous fight” and “over the land.”

Jeep Advertising Stats:

  • From January to May 2019, Jeep spent over $100 million on advertising, with 48% allocated to broadcast.
  • In 2019, Jeep began advertising on Snapchat, increased digital ad spend by 41% year-over-year, and invested more in native advertising.

3. Levi’s | Go Forth America

Released after the financial crisis, Levi’s Go Forth campaign features visceral imagery set to Walt Whitman reading from his poem “America.” The ad invokes themes of freedom, law, love, strength, and endurance, read by one of America’s most famous poets.

Levi’s Advertising Stats:

  • From January to May 2019, Levi’s spent just under $19 million on advertising, with 45% going to broadcast.
  • In 2019, Levi’s increased spend in mobile, newspaper, and native advertising.

4. Coca Cola | Together is Beautiful

Coca Cola’s 2016 “Together is Beautiful” ad, an update to the 2014 “America is Beautiful” campaign, emphasizes American diversity. The ad features children singing “America the Beautiful” in multiple languages, and the tagline has been used in other campaigns as well.

Coca Cola Advertising Stats:

  • Coca Cola spent about $2.7 million on the “Together is Beautiful” ad, which aired across 9 networks for over 1000 days.
  • From January to May 2019, Coca Cola spent just under $54 million on advertising, with 48% going to Cable TV. The brand increased spend on mobile, online, video, and magazine ads in 2019.

5. Jack Daniel’s | As American As

This ad from Jack Daniel’s combines nostalgia and inspiration, citing elements that make up America. The narration ends with: “We live in a country that lets people make things they believe. And that’s American as…well…”—leaving the viewer to fill in the blank with Jack Daniel’s.

Jack Daniel’s Advertising Stats:

  • From January to May 2019, Jack Daniel’s spent just over $4 million on advertising, a 21% increase over previous years, mainly due to a surge in cable, display, and broadcast advertising. Cable alone accounted for 93% of ad spend.
  • In 2019, Jack Daniel’s began using native advertising.