New 'Up for whatever' commercials

[Mytical]

So if a total stranger comes up to you with a Bud Light in their hand and asks "Are you up for whatever?" you are supposed to just go with this person .. no questions asked? Does anybody else see something wrong with this ad?

I know you can't take commercials seriously, you know that commercials shouldn't be taken seriously, any intelligent person would know not to take this seriously .. but how many not so bright people are out there?

[TheHuckster]

So if a total stranger comes up to you with a Bud Light in their hand and asks "Are you up for whatever?" you are supposed to just go with this person .. no questions asked? Does anybody else see something wrong with this ad?

I know you can't take commercials seriously, you know that commercials shouldn't be taken seriously, any intelligent person would know not to take this seriously .. but how many not so bright people are out there?

I know I wouldn't be up for whatever if someone gave me a Bud Light. It has to at least be a craft beer to get me interested.

Watching the commercial again, this is what much of the bar scene is like. An attractive girl goes up to a guy and asks if he's up for whatever, then of course he's going to say yes. He probably had wet dreams of a random woman asking him if he's up for "whatever" at a bar. Take him to a limo with a DJ inside and all, and he probably thinks something is up, for sure, but it's not enough to put his guard up enough to run away. After all, if they were up to no good, that's quite a convoluted and expensive way to do that.

Plus, the fact that the bar, according to the commercial, was filled with paid actors except for him tells me that he wasn't selected at random. Did they kick all the other patrons out? Did they really pick him at random off the street, or did they arrange to surprise him with help from his friends? Just how much of this was set up and how much was truly random?

[Mytical]

I agree with the above. My concern is not with the commercial itself, but what some might do with this. While the commercials are staged (obviously), a predator would not have to stage everything. They could let somebody believe that everything is staged, etc, and well.. you can see where I am going with this. The commercials also have females in it, so this is not just about guys either. How many drunk or not so bright people would think "Hey this is that commercial!" and go off with who knows who without question? Especially if they were a little drunk in the first place.

[TheHuckster]

I agree with the above. My concern is not with the commercial itself, but what some might do with this. While the commercials are staged (obviously), a predator would not have to stage everything. They could let somebody believe that everything is staged, etc, and well.. you can see where I am going with this. The commercials also have females in it, so this is not just about guys either. How many drunk or not so bright people would think "Hey this is that commercial!" and go off with who knows who without question? Especially if they were a little drunk in the first place.

I consider this argument to be another example of the fallacy that the media and video games will inspire copy-cat behavior. Predatory behavior at bars are nothing new. Everyone needs to be aware of their surroundings and avoid being alone with someone who might have bad intentions. It's all about judgement and responsibility. Leaving a bar with a random someone is something that happens all the time, and usually the worst that happens is morning-after regret. There are unfortunately a few that get assaulted, but if they do, the blame isn't on this commercial, but on the individual who committed the act.

Like I said before, this was a very deliberate and well-thought-out ploy. They knew they had to make the guy feel safe, and they did so by not leaving him alone with his new-found date and kept him entertained.

Could someone with enough money to hire a limo driver and gather a bunch of similarly demented friends to go out and gangbang an unsuspecting individual? Of course. But to blame a situation like that on this commercial and not the deprived group is the same as blaming GTA for mall shootings or Beavis and Butthead for idiots who set themselves on fire.

[Mytical]

You raise good points. I think you might be giving people too much credit, but I've been wrong before

[TheHuckster]

You raise good points. I think you might be giving people too much credit, but I've been wrong before

It's not about giving people too much credit. Yes, there is a possibility this commercial might inspire someone to use the same tactic for nefarious purposes. However, that doesn't mean the commercial is to blame. The people horrible enough to do such an act would have done so with or without the commercial giving them ideas. They just would have done it in a different, less over the top way.

[Aethian]

I think this is the only commercial YouTube is running now. I am SICK of them.

[Racket_Man]

that commercial seems almost as bad as the "What would you do for a Klondike bar" commercials from years back.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wNRiFBrX7Nk

[Gravekeeper]

Just how much of this was set up and how much was truly random?

Everything up to him arriving at the bar is a set up. He was told he was selected for a focus group that he had applied for, which paid $1000 upon completion. They actually picked him up at his place and drove him to the bar full of actors. They also carefully selected him from everyone that signed up for the focus group to ensure there was a good chance he was the sort of guy that would go along with it.

He didn't even know it was all for a commercial till after the entire thing was over when they made him sign a massive NDA to keep his mouth shut till the Superb Owl.

So yeah, while his reactions in the commercial are genuine, there was much more going on then just randomly asking someone if they would get in a limo with you for a Bud Light.