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:''This article focuses primarily on an advertisement campaign. For details the phrase itself, see [[What's up]]. '' |
:''This article focuses primarily on an advertisement campaign. For details the phrase itself, see [[What's up]]. '' |
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'''Whassup?''' was a [[catch phrase]] used in a TV/radio [[advertising|commercial]] campaign for [[Budweiser (Anheuser-Busch)|Anheuser-Busch Budweiser]] [[beer]] in the early [[2000s]]. The ad campaign became wildly popular all over the world, and a full blown [[pop culture]] phenomenon. The phrase itself is an alteration of the phrase "What's up?". |
'''Whassup?''' was a [[catch phrase]] used in a TV/radio [[advertising|commercial]] campaign for [[Budweiser (Anheuser-Busch)|Anheuser-Busch Budweiser]] [[beer]] in the early [[2000s]]. The ad campaign became wildly popular all over the world, and a full blown [[pop culture]] phenomenon. The phrase itself is an alteration of the phrase "[[What's up|What's up?]]". |
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The commercials were based on a short film written & directed by [[Charles Stone III]], that featured Philadelphia native Stone and his childhood friends Fred Thomas, Paul Williams and Scott Brooks. The short film, entitled "True", portrayed Stone and his friends sitting around talking on the phone and saying "Whassup!" to each other in a comical way. The short was the hit of many film festivals and eventually caught the attention of Vinny Warren, a creative director at the Chicago based ad agency DDB, who took the idea to August Busch IV, vice president of Anheuser-Busch, and signed Stone to direct Budweiser TV commercials based on the film. "Whassup!" went on to become one of the most award winning TV campaigns in history (winning the Cannes Lions Grand Prix award in 2000 and the Grand Clio award among others). Budweiser would later parody the ads with "yuppies" saying "What are you doing?", and New Jersey-ites saying "How ya' doin'?" The catch phrase and the commercials have been parodied worldwide, often using colloquialisms that appeal to a regional audience. For example, a parody of [[Yorkshire]] men used the phrase [[Ey up!]], and Scotsmen used the phrase "How's about ye'?" |
The commercials were based on a short film written & directed by [[Charles Stone III]], that featured Philadelphia native Stone and his childhood friends Fred Thomas, Paul Williams and Scott Brooks. The short film, entitled "True", portrayed Stone and his friends sitting around talking on the phone and saying "Whassup!" to each other in a comical way. The short was the hit of many film festivals and eventually caught the attention of Vinny Warren, a creative director at the Chicago based ad agency DDB, who took the idea to August Busch IV, vice president of Anheuser-Busch, and signed Stone to direct Budweiser TV commercials based on the film. "Whassup!" went on to become one of the most award winning TV campaigns in history (winning the Cannes Lions Grand Prix award in 2000 and the Grand Clio award among others). Budweiser would later parody the ads with "yuppies" saying "What are you doing?", and New Jersey-ites saying "How ya' doin'?" The catch phrase and the commercials have been parodied worldwide, often using colloquialisms that appeal to a regional audience. For example, a parody of [[Yorkshire]] men used the phrase [[Ey up!]], and Scotsmen used the phrase "How's about ye'?" |
Revision as of 23:22, 26 December 2005
- This article focuses primarily on an advertisement campaign. For details the phrase itself, see What's up.
Whassup? was a catch phrase used in a TV/radio commercial campaign for Anheuser-Busch Budweiser beer in the early 2000s. The ad campaign became wildly popular all over the world, and a full blown pop culture phenomenon. The phrase itself is an alteration of the phrase "What's up?".
The commercials were based on a short film written & directed by Charles Stone III, that featured Philadelphia native Stone and his childhood friends Fred Thomas, Paul Williams and Scott Brooks. The short film, entitled "True", portrayed Stone and his friends sitting around talking on the phone and saying "Whassup!" to each other in a comical way. The short was the hit of many film festivals and eventually caught the attention of Vinny Warren, a creative director at the Chicago based ad agency DDB, who took the idea to August Busch IV, vice president of Anheuser-Busch, and signed Stone to direct Budweiser TV commercials based on the film. "Whassup!" went on to become one of the most award winning TV campaigns in history (winning the Cannes Lions Grand Prix award in 2000 and the Grand Clio award among others). Budweiser would later parody the ads with "yuppies" saying "What are you doing?", and New Jersey-ites saying "How ya' doin'?" The catch phrase and the commercials have been parodied worldwide, often using colloquialisms that appeal to a regional audience. For example, a parody of Yorkshire men used the phrase Ey up!, and Scotsmen used the phrase "How's about ye'?"
Dance songs with the sole purpose of featuring the phrase were created, and resulted in chart success. These include "Whazzup" by True Party in 2000 (#13 on the UK Singles Chart), and "Wassup" by Da Muttz (a nom de plume of producers Alex Rizzo and Elliot Ireland) in the same year (#11 in the UK, #12 on Australian ARIAnet singles chart).
The popularity of the ad campaign skyrocketed when various independently produced parodies began popping up on the internet (featuring the Super Friends, the Simpsons, South Park, the Teletubbies, Rabbis, Grannies, and many others mimicking the commercials), resulting in it becoming an Internet phenomenon. Also, many popular television shows such as Saturday Night Live and ESPN's SportCenter did their own parodies of the commercials. Charles, Scott, Paul and Fred also made guest appearances on many television shows, including; Oprah, the Tonight Show with Jay Leno, Regis & Kathy Lee, the Howard Stern show, Entertainment Tonight, the Today Show, CBS This Morning, 48 Hours, and Inside Edition.
Charles Stone III has since gone on to a successful Hollywood career, directing several feature films ("Paid in Full", "Drumline", "Mr. 3000", as of 2005).
From 2000 to 2001, Scott, Paul and Fred hosted ABC's "Best Commercials You've Never Seen", then from 2001 to 2002 Scott took over as the solo host. Scott has also gone on to a successful acting career, with guest roles on TV shows such as "Hack" and "Jonny Zero", being featured in "Mr. 3000", and another television commercial based on a popular catchphrase/campaign; Dr. Scholl's "Are you Gellin'?" (as of 2005)
Reference
- "They're up: With a stop at Comerica Park, the friends starring in Budweiser's 'Whassup' commercials say hello to success". April 21, 2000.
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External Sites
- Whassup videos: includes the original TV commercials as well as a long list of parody videos.