Budweiser's Clydesdales return for Super Bowl LVIII
Budweiser's 2024 Super Bowl appearance will mark a return to the beverage maker's roots after a turbulent 2023 mired by the company's Bud Light partnership with transgender activist Dylan Mulvaney, which alienated customers and wholesale partners.
Now, when the San Francisco 49ers and the Kansas City Chiefs face off, fans will see a commercial called "Old-School Delivery" featuring the iconic Budweiser Clydesdales for the first time since 2022. Their labrador retriever pal will also make an appearance.
In the ad, the animals help two delivery men bring Budweiser to a bar through difficult snowy conditions, the brand said. An actual long-time Budweiser wholesaler stars as one of the men.
HOUSTON - APRIL 06: A Budweiser clydesdale horse sticks his head out of the trailer before the game between the Colorado Rockies and the Houston Astros on Opening Day at Minute Maid Park on April 6, 2012 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Bob Levey/Getty I
With this the Super Bowl spot, the Anheuser-Busch InBev-owned beer brand seeks focus on Budweiser’s commitment to "always delivering in the moments that matter," it said Wednesday. It also salutes its wholesalers, distributors and other workers.
Budweiser gave fans a brief preview last week of the Super LVIII ad and the well-known draught horses in it.
"Budweiser has been synonymous with the Super Bowl for decades and the broadcast continues to be a very special moment for our brand and a core pillar of our advertising strategy," Budweiser USA marketing head Kristina Punwani said in a Wednesday statement. "We knew there was no better way to show Budweiser’s continued commitment to delivering for its fans than with our biggest celebrities [the Clydesdales]."
The ad comes as the company tries to move on from Mulvaney, which caused customer boycotts and negatively impacted the brand’s sales. Constellation Brands’ Modelo Especial beat Bud Light to become the top-selling beer in America following the pushback.
In the weeks and months following, the parent company's market value took a hit and now sits at $105 billion, down from around $134 billion in March of last year.
Bud Light and another brand owned by Anheuser-Busch, Michelob Ultra, will also advertise during the Super Bowl commercial breaks, the company said last week.
The company’s national Super Bowl commercial time will total 2.5 minutes.
Usher will lead the half-time show.
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