# TV Commericals Clean Up and Dumb Down Trends Since 2003 By Mike Weldon | Published 2006-01-07 | Marketing Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/tv-commericals-clean-up-and-dumb-down-the-guys References: [detnews](http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060102/BIZ/601020359/1001) This is what TV advertising aimed at men looked like, circa 2003: Two fetching young women, sitting in an outdoor cafe, begin to argue about the merits of [Miller Lite](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/bad-t-to-good-t) beer. The argument quickly escalates into a hair-pulling, clothes-ripping brawl. The women, now half-naked, tumble into a fountain, then somehow wind up rolling around together in wet cement. The naughty male fantasy concludes with one saying to the other, "Let's make out!" And this is what it looks like, circa 2005: A bunch of young guys, sitting around watching the game, realize they have run out of beer. To make it to the store and back before the action resumes, one of them tears out of the living room, races through a neighbor's house, jumps over a fence and hitches a ride on the back of a galloping police horse. He arrives at the market in time to grab the last six-pack of Miller Lite, just as another young man, on an identical mission, comes barreling into the store. The difference between busty, battling babes and sprinting slackers tells a larger tale about [male-oriented TV advertising](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/the-club-campaign) these days. Not so long ago, commercials tailored to guys pushed a few predictable buttons -- sex, certainly, but also a kind of aggressive and crude frat-house humor. Bud Light -- to pick another prominent marketer to the football-watching demographic -- ran a series of commercials during [Super Bowl 2004](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/angel-soft-super-bowl) that featured a dog that bit a man's crotch, a monkey that propositioned a woman, and a horse that passed gas in a couple's face. ## Trend Insights (Trend Hunter) - Score: 4.1/10 - Popularity: 76% | Activity: 40% | Freshness: 8% - Audience gender: 90% men, 10% women - Primary generations: Gen Z, Millennial, Gen X - Top markets: North America, Europe, Asia ## Categories [Trend Hunter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends) > [Marketing](https://www.trendhunter.com/marketing) > [Print](https://www.trendhunter.com/print) ## Key Themes ### What's Driving This Trend - **Evolution of Masculinity in TV Advertising:** Opportunity for companies to advertise with a refreshed and sensitive perspective towards masculinity in their commercials. - **Shifting Gendered Tropes in TV Advertising:** Companies can explore alternative modes of humor and sexuality in their ads to reflect a transformation of sexist media narratives. - **TV Advertising and Millennial Humor:** Entrepreneurs can reevaluate their marketing strategy for millennial audiences, focusing on humor that is inclusive, self-aware and culturally relevant. ### Who This Affects Most - **Alcohol Industry:** Advertising agencies specialized in creating bold ad campaigns for alcoholic brands can revamp their approach to advertising by aligning with modern gender narratives. - **Tech Industry:** Tech companies can incorporate innovative AI advertisement techniques to customize ads and make them more appealing to modern audience. - **Entertainment and Media Industry:** The entertainment and media industry can stay relevant by creating content that incorporates socially conscious themes, humor and sensibilities that appeal to a wider spectrum of audiences. ## Related on Trend Hunter - [Anti-Sexist Beer Campaigns](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/bad-t-to-good-t.md) - [Celebratory Beverage Ads](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/legendary-stories.md) - [High Stakes Beer Ads](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/igh-stakes-beer-ad.md) - [Humorous Mens Fragrance Campaigns](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/axe-campaign.md) - [Anthropomorphic Hair Ads](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/hair-ballad.md) - [Connected Gamer Campaigns](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/just-another-night-out.md) - [Nostalgic Infomercial Grill Spots](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/bud-light-x-traeger-grills.md) - [Hilarious Female-Supporting Beer Ads](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/beaver-water.md) - [Connected Beer Jerseys](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/running-of-the-beer-ads.md)