# Dilly Dilly > Dilly Dilly is a 2017 nonsense catchphrase from a Bud Light beer commercial by Wieden+Kennedy, featuring a medieval toast that became one of the biggest advertising-born memes of the late 2010s. "Dilly Dilly" is a nonsense catchphrase from a 2017 Bud Light television ad campaign that broke out of its commercial origins to become one of the biggest advertising-born memes of the late 2010s. Created by ad agency Wieden+Kennedy as a medieval toast in a *Game of Thrones*-style beer commercial, the phrase spread through NFL stadiums, social media, and barroom culture at a speed that caught even its creators off guard. At its peak, "Dilly Dilly" was pulling 100,000 Google searches per week and had NFL quarterbacks using it as a play call at the line of scrimmage. ## Origin The phrase was invented by Wieden+Kennedy art director N.J. Placentra (then 30 years old) and copywriter Alex Ledford at the agency's New York office[1]. They were brainstorming ideas for a Bud Light commercial called "Banquet," which was filmed at a church in Manhattan and timed to coincide with the *Game of Thrones* season finale[3]. Placentra and Ledford needed the king character to say something "like 'huzzah' but not actually 'huzzah'" when approving gifts of Bud Light[1]. Ledford suggested "Dilly Dilly" and Placentra laughed, so they dropped it into the script as a placeholder, figuring they could replace it later if the client approved the concept[1]. The original script only used the phrase once, but after Anheuser-Busch signed off on the ad, production director Jim Jenkins pushed to repeat it multiple times throughout the spot[3]. The "Banquet" ad began airing in August 2017[2]. Patricio later admitted the ad didn't test well in focus groups, but the team decided to go against the research, betting that repetition would help audiences catch on[3]. - **Platform:** Television (Bud Light commercial), Twitter / social media (viral spread) - **Creator:** N.J. Placentra (art director, Wieden+Kennedy), Alex Ledford (copywriter, Wieden+Kennedy) - **Date:** 2017 ## Overview "Dilly Dilly" is a meaningless two-word phrase used as a toast, cheer, or general expression of agreement in a series of medieval-themed Bud Light commercials. In the ads, a king and his court raise their beers and chant "Dilly Dilly" as a call-and-response affirmation, functioning like "hear, hear!" or "cheers!"[1]. The phrase has no fixed definition. As InBev chief marketing officer Miguel Patricio put it: "It doesn't mean anything. That's the beauty of it. I think that we all need our moments of nonsense and fun"[3]. The ads parody *Game of Thrones*, set in a vaguely medieval kingdom where loyalty is measured by how much Bud Light you bring the king. Anyone offering craft beer or "spiced honey mead wine" gets banished to the "Pit of Misery." The whole thing works as populist comedy, mocking beer snobbery while turning a cheap domestic lager into a badge of in-group belonging[5]. ## How It Spread "Dilly Dilly" caught fire during the 2017 NFL season. Football fans adopted it as a barroom cheer and tailgate greeting almost immediately[5]. By November 2017, Bud Light marketing VP Andy Goeler reported that the campaign was generating 100,000 Google searches per week and roughly 45,000 weekly YouTube searches[3]. The hashtag #DillyDilly racked up over 7,000 uses on Instagram within months of the first ad[6]. The phrase crossed into sports culture in a literal way on November 16, 2017, when Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger appeared to use "Dilly Dilly" as an audible call at the line of scrimmage during a Thursday Night Football game against the Tennessee Titans[8]. Twitter and Reddit exploded with reactions from viewers who were sure they'd heard it[8]. Bud Light leaned hard into the momentum. A second ad, "Pit of Misery," dropped for Thanksgiving football, featuring a character named Greg sharing Bud Light with prisoners[3]. A third ad, "Handouts," promoted a sweepstakes for lifetime Super Bowl tickets[3]. Then came a three-part trilogy: "Wizard" aired on Christmas Day during the Steelers-Texans game, "Ye Olde Pep Talk" ran during the AFC and NFC Championship games, and "The Bud Knight" debuted during Super Bowl LII on February 4, 2018[3]. Las Vegas sportsbooks even set a prop bet on the combined number of "Dilly Dillys" across all Bud Light Super Bowl ads, with an over/under of 15.5[1]. The meme printed itself onto T-shirts, flooded social media, and spawned unauthorized products. One independent brewer released a "Dilly Dilly" ale before being forced to pull it[1]. ## How to Use "Dilly Dilly" works as a general-purpose cheer, toast, or expression of approval. People typically use it in these situations: 1. **As a toast** — Raise a drink (ideally a Bud Light, but any beer works) and say "Dilly Dilly!" Others in the group repeat it back. 2. **As agreement** — Someone says something you approve of. You respond with "Dilly Dilly" the way you'd say "hear, hear!" or "amen." 3. **As a greeting** — Walk up to friends at a bar, tailgate, or party and open with "Dilly Dilly" as a casual hello[1]. 4. **Online** — Drop it in comment sections, tweets, or group chats as a reaction to good news or as ironic nostalgia for the late-2010s meme era. ## Cultural Impact "Dilly Dilly" crossed from advertising into genuine cultural artifact faster than almost any commercial catchphrase since Budweiser's own "Whassup?" in 1999[2]. Bud Light marketing VP Andy Goeler directly compared the two, saying he believed "Dilly Dilly" could be the next "Whassup?"[3]. The financial impact was measurable. A joint study by Stanford University and Humboldt University found that Budweiser's Super Bowl ad spending produced sales increases of up to 10 six-packs per thousand households in the week before the game, with lingering effects during subsequent major sporting events like March Madness[1]. Morgan Stanley attributed Bud Light's first market share gain since 2011 to the campaign[3]. Anheuser-Busch InBev was the biggest Super Bowl ad spender in 2017 at $35 million, and the company tripled down on "Dilly Dilly" for Super Bowl LII, where 30-second spots cost over $5 million[1]. The campaign won a Silver Lion at Cannes Lions 2018[3]. The phrase also made real-world sports impact. Beyond Roethlisberger's audible, the Masters tournament's attempt to suppress the chant only amplified it[4]. A Philadelphia woman who named her July 2018 baby "Dilly Dilly" received a supply of Bud Light from the company[3]. ## Fun Facts - The creators originally planned to replace "Dilly Dilly" with something better. Placentra said Alex Ledford just blurted it out during brainstorming, he laughed, and they put it in the script "thinking we could always come up with something else later"[1]. - Placentra described his feelings about the phrase's success as "a weird mix of pride and embarrassment," noting that a zombie apocalypse ad they shot around the same time was, in his opinion, funnier[1]. - The ad didn't perform well in pre-air testing. InBev CMO Miguel Patricio went against the research data and greenlit it anyway, betting that repeated exposure would make it click[3]. - "Dilly" as a standalone word dates to around 1905 in American English, originally meaning "wonderful" or "remarkable," likely shortened from "delicious"[7]. - Las Vegas set a prop bet for Super Bowl LII on the total number of "Dilly Dillys" spoken across all Bud Light commercials, with an over/under of 15.5[1]. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### What is Dilly Dilly? "Dilly Dilly" is a nonsense catchphrase from a 2017 Bud Light beer commercial set in a medieval kingdom. It functions as a toast or cheer of agreement, similar to "hear, hear!" or "cheers"[1]. ### Where did Dilly Dilly come from? The phrase was created by Wieden+Kennedy ad agency creatives N.J. Placentra and Alex Ledford for a Bud Light commercial called "Banquet" that first aired in August 2017[1]. ### What does Dilly Dilly mean? It doesn't have a literal meaning. InBev CMO Miguel Patricio said "it doesn't mean anything" and that its beauty lies in being a shared moment of nonsense[3]. In practice, people use it as a toast, greeting, or expression of approval[1]. ### How do you use Dilly Dilly? Raise a drink and say "Dilly Dilly" as a toast. Others repeat it back. It also works as a casual greeting or verbal thumbs-up in group settings, particularly at sports bars and tailgates[5]. ### Is Dilly Dilly still popular? The phrase peaked during the 2017-2018 NFL season and Super Bowl LII. By 2019 it had entered its decline phase as Bud Light wound down the campaign[4]. It's now recognized as a classic advertising meme from that era. ### Who created the Dilly Dilly phrase? Art director N.J. Placentra and copywriter Alex Ledford at the Wieden+Kennedy ad agency in New York invented it during a brainstorming session. Ledford said it first, Placentra laughed, and they kept it as a placeholder that became permanent[1]. ### Was Dilly Dilly originally meant to be temporary? Yes. Placentra said they put it in the script "thinking we could always come up with something else later if the client liked the script." The original script only used it once, but production director Jim Jenkins suggested repeating it throughout the ad[1]. ### Did Ben Roethlisberger really use Dilly Dilly as an audible? During a November 16, 2017 Thursday Night Football game against the Tennessee Titans, Roethlisberger appeared to call "Dilly Dilly" at the line of scrimmage. Twitter and Reddit lit up with fans who were sure they'd heard it[8]. ### Why did the Masters ban Dilly Dilly? In 2018, security at Augusta National reportedly ejected spectators who shouted "Dilly Dilly" after tee shots. Augusta is known for strict decorum rules, and the ban only made the phrase more popular as a small act of defiance[4]. ### Did Dilly Dilly actually help Bud Light's sales? Morgan Stanley credited the campaign with Bud Light gaining market share for the first time since 2011[3]. A Stanford/Humboldt University study found Budweiser Super Bowl ads increased sales up to 10 six-packs per thousand households in the week before the game[1]. ### What is the Pit of Misery? The Pit of Misery is the fictional punishment in the Bud Light ads where anyone who doesn't bring Bud Light (particularly craft beer snobs) gets banished. It became its own secondary catchphrase[3]. ### Is Dilly a real word? Yes. Dictionary.com defines "dilly" as "something or someone regarded as remarkable," an Americanism from around 1905-1910, probably shortened from "delightful"[7]. The phrase also appears in the 17th-century folk song "Lavender's Blue" as a rhythmic filler[3]. ## References 1. [‘Dilly Dilly!’ The story behind the phrase you’ll hear most during this year’s Super Bowl – Chicago Tribune]() 2. [Dilly Dilly Explained: Where This Weird Phrase Actually Came From - Chaintech Fr]() 3. [How Do You Turn an Ad Into a Meme? Two Words: Dilly Dilly - The New York Times]() 4. [Dilly Dilly]() 5. [Dilly Dilly - Urban Dictionary]() 6. [The Genius of the “Dilly Dilly” Commercial]() 7. [DILLY Definition & Meaning | Dictionary.com]() 8. [How Bud Light Made 'Dilly Dilly!' the Internet's Most Inescapable Catchphrase - Maxim]() 9. [Bud Light Tries to Resurrect Its Punchline Personality in Ad Evoking 'Game of Thrones' - Ad Age]() 10. [Steelers vs. Titans: A "Dilly Dilly" from Ben Roethlisberger on Thursday Night Football?]() --- Source: https://meme.com/memes/dilly-dilly Published by meme.com — The Internet Meme Library