Budweiser™ Stole My Idea™

Written by Meg Ruocco

Photography by Calder Sell 

Hi. Me again. You read the title, there are no illusions as to why you’re here, so let’s just get right to it, shall we? On February 3rd, 2019, during the 896th Super Bowl commercial break, I saw an ad that shook me to my core. To paint you a bit of a word picture, it was a classic Budweiser ad with their cute puppies and their specifically hairy-hoofed horses, trotting through an open field. In the background, wind turbines. And the song playing over the picturesque scene is none other than Bob Dylan’s Blowin in the Wind. And may I juST SAY. That I, Margaret Anne Ruocco, came up with that idea for a commercial TWO. YEARS AGO. You can check out the poorly photoshopped mock-up on my website—I made my ad for an electric company’s wind plant plans for 2020—and perhaps you’ll be filled with the same seething, hot, liquid rage like I am. And look, I’m not gonna name names, but I DO remember a man and a woman listening very closely to the conversation I had with my parents at the Mexican restaurant where I thought up the does the Italian chef kiss brilliant concept naught two years ago. And hey, was it “technically” my dad’s idea and did I “technically” not understand the reference when he first said it? Yes, sure. But he gave me permission to use it so that’s my intellectual property now baby. I get that this is a useless thing to be mad about. Will I take legal action and pursue the Budweiser company in a court of law to take their hops-obsessed company down once and for all? Probably not. But seeing as I’m a 22-year-old unemployed woman and only taking 9 credits this semester, I will die on this hill via internet-based complaining. Also, Budweiser, if you’re looking for any young, mildly-fresh faced writers, I’m on the market. Great minds, you know?