Budweiser's Clydesdales Will Sit Out the Super Bowl

Ad From David Miami Touts Brand's Water Donation Initiative

Published On
Jan 25, 2018

Editor's Pick

Budweiser's famous Clydesdales will sit out the Super Bowl this year for the first time since 2001. The horses are getting the heave-ho in favor of a 60-second Bud-branded spot that touts Anheuser-Busch InBev's philanthropic water giveaway program. The canned water donation initiative is activated in the wake of natural disasters, like the hurricanes that ravaged Texas and Puerto Rico last year.

This year's TV ad, by David of Miami, features a real AB InBev employee who is portrayed springing into action and flipping the switch at an AB InBev brewery to convert it from canned Bud to canned water production. It ends with a shot of one of Bud's "America" branded cans turning into a water can carrying the AB InBev corporate logo. The message "whenever you need us, we'll stand by you" appears on screen, along with the names of some places where Bud has sent emergency water: Texas, Florida, Puerto Rico and California. The soundtrack is a remake of "Stand By Me," by Skylar Grey that was custom-made for the ad. A portion of proceeds from the single will be donated to the American Red Cross, which partners with the brewer on the water program.

The ad stars Kevin Fahrenkrog, general manager of the Cartersville, Georgia brewery from which AB InBev makes the canned water. This year the brewer is adding its Fort Collins, Colorado brewery to the program.

Bud has been running the water program for 30 years, and has given away 79 million cans in that time. But the brewer has never publicized the effort on a grand stage like the Super Bowl. AB InBev is also putting a do-gooder spin on a separate Super Bowl ad for Stella Artois that also involves water. The spot, starring Matt Damon, plugs the brewer's partnership with water.org, which invests in clean water initiatives for developing countries.

The spots come as more research suggests younger buyers gravitate to brands that they believe hold their values. Big corporations are especially under the microscope, with consumers ready to use social media to pounce on any misstep.

The Clydesdales will not totally be stuck in the barn, however. The brewer says they will be featured in a video that will debut next week on digital. Still, by sidelining the steeds, AB InBev risks backlash from viewers that have come to expect them to at least make cameos, if not take a starring role, on advertising's biggest stage.

AB InBev executives are banking on the digital film, which will be promoted on social media, to satisfy Clydesdale loyalists. "We have a lot of fans that are asking for the Clydesdales in social media every time we are in the Super Bowl," says Budweiser VP Ricardo Marques. "They are part of our Super Bowl plans, they will simply not be featured on [Super Bowl] Sunday."

To be sure, the Clydesdales have not always taken a starring role in Bud's Super Bowl ads. Last year they made a very brief appearance in a spot that told the tale of how German immigrant Adolphus Busch founded the company. The horses got a bigger role on social media when Bud showed a Facebook livestream of the Clydesdales hanging out in the barn during the game. It proved to be popular, drawing plenty of views and likes, but also comments like this one from one fan: "I miss you guys in the commercial this year!! Tell the experts we want you back darn it!!" In 2010, Bud's first-draft Super Bowl plans kept the Clydesdales out, but the brewer added them later after running a Facebook poll that revealed overwhelming support for the horses.

Read the full story on Bud's Super Bowl push here.

Credits

Date
Jan 25, 2018
Brand :
Budweiser
Client :
Budweiser
Agency :
David-Miami
Chief Creative Officer :
Anselmo Ramos
Chief Creative Officer :
Gaston Bigio
Founder :
Gaston Bigio
Founder :
Anselmo Ramos
Creative Director :
Tony Kalathara
Associate Creative Director :
Ricardo Casal
Associate Creative Director :
Juan Javier Peña Plaza
Art Director :
Gaston Bigio
Copywriter :
Anselmo Ramos
Head of Global Production :
Veronica Beach
Producer :
Renata Neumann
Producer :
Kelly Allen
Associate Producer :
Marina Rodrigues
Senior Business Affairs Manager :
Barbara Karalis
Director, Strategy :
Jon Carlaw
Senior Planner :
Matias Candia
Managing Director, Head of Account Services :
Paulo Fogaça
Senior Account Director :
Carmen Rodriguez
Account Director :
Gabriella Fabbro
Account Supervisor :
Monique Beauchamp
Vice President, Marketing :
Marcel Marcondes
Vice President, Marketing :
Ricardo Marques
Senior Brand Director :
Monica Rustgi
Director, PR :
Jennifer Goldsmith
Production Company :
SMUGGLER
Director :
Henry-Alex Rubin
Executive Producer :
Patrick Milling Smith
Executive Producer :
Brian Carmody
Executive Producer :
Drew Santarsiero
Chief Operating Officer :
Andrew Colon
Line Producer :
Catalina Restrepo
Director, Photography :
David Devlin
Editorial :
Lost Planet
Editor :
Saar Klein
Additional Editor :
Michael Sobo
Assistant Editor :
Juliana Rodzinski
Senior Producer :
Casey Cayko
Executive Producer :
Krystn Wagenberg
Online :
Black Hole
Finishing/Visual Effects Producer :
Felix Cabrera
Flame/Visual Effects Artist :
Tim Farrell
3D Designer/Animator :
Aldo Gonzalez
Mix :
Heard City
Mixer :
Phil Loeb
Mixer :
Elizabeth Mcclanahan
Producer :
Andi Lewis
Executive Producer :
Sasha Awn
Color Correction :
Company 3
Colorist :
Stefan Sonnenfeld
Senior Producer :
Katie Andrews
Executive Producer :
Ashley McKim
Music :
STAND BY ME
Vocals/Performed by :
Skylar Grey
Performer :
J. Ralph
Performer :
David Garza
Produced, Arranged, Orchestrated, Engineered, and Mixed :
J. Ralph
Co-Produced by :
Bub Jess
Produced, Engineered and Mixed by :
Dave Bassett
Original Music Licensing :
Yessian
Executive Producer :
Marlene Bartos
Music Licensing :
Lars Makie
COO Yessian Music :
Brian Yessian
Head Of Production Yessian Music :
Michael Yessian

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