Making a Clydesdale ad back in 2008. (See the video below.)
After several days of indecision and a plea for public input, Anheuser-Busch said today it plans to include a Budweiser Clydesdales spot in its five minutes of advertising during this Sunday’s Super Bowl.
The spot is 60 seconds long and will appear during the game’s fourth quarter, according to A-B. The ad is called “Fence” and follows a bull and a Clydesdale growing up together, yet separated by a fence.
Earlier last week, A-B unveiled a lineup of nine spots that did not include the popular horses — marking the first time in at least eight Super Bowls that the Clydesdales would be sidelined from the Big Game.
A-B said it had produced a Clydesdale ad (worked on by Chicago’s DDB), but the spot failed to make the cut because it did not test well with focus groups.
A public uproar followed. And two days later, the brewer reconsidered. It put the “Fence” ad and two other Budweiser spots on Facebook, welcoming the public to vote on their favorite. The brewer said it was not bound by the popular vote, but it was clear from looking at the more than 3,000 comments that “Fence” was the favorite.
Squeezing in the 60-second Clydesdale ad shook up A-B’s Super Bowl lineup — and forced an unfortunate consequence for St. Louis ad agency Cannonball. The agency had scored a big victory by producing — for the first time — all five Bud Light ads set to run during the Super Bowl. But it lost one of those ads (a funny spot called “Book Club”) when “Fence” was added. Also dropped was a Budweiser spot called “Payment.”
A Bud Light ad that makes the cut.
Here is A-B’s Super Bowl ad lineup, according to the brewer:
1st Quarter
“Light House” (Bud Light) – (:30, Cannonball, St. Louis)
“Asteroid” (Bud Light) – (:30, Cannonball, St. Louis)
“Voice Box” (Bud Light) – (:30, Cannonball, St. Louis)
2nd Quarter
“Bridge” (Budweiser) – (:60, DDB Worldwide, Chicago)
“Stranded” (Bud Light) – (:45, Cannonball, St. Louis)
3rd Quarter
“Little Bumps” (Michelob ULTRA) – (:30, Palm+Havas, Chicago)
“Ice Bottle” (SELECT 55) – (:15, Momentum, St. Louis)
4th Quarter
“Fence” (Budweiser) – (:60, DDB Worldwide, Chicago)
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A general assignment/enterprise reporter who right now is straining to avoid deploying the first person here. A native of D.C., but now longtime resident of St. Louis. 
“This, like the other clydesdale ads from Budweiser is in good taste and invokes a sense of inseparable friends…a great theme for young people to learn in this day and age that often promotes selfish behaviour.” Reg, Let’s all not forget that the people who own AB gave themselves millions of dollars in bonuses and laid off tons of loyal employees. so AB InBev commercials may come across with some warm and fuzzy feelings but the people who are in charge Know nothing about inseparable friends, they know nothing about making friends or keeping them. Unless, their friends have money or can give them money. I don’t think InBev has any themes that our young people can learn from either. Just my opinion.
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This, like the other clydesdale ads from Budweiser is in good taste and invokes a sense of inseparable friends…a great theme for young people to learn in this day and age that often promotes selfish behaviour.
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Hey Brito, Is it true your going to use Belgian sheep dogs instead of the clydesdales? It figures,any way to cut costs and give bonuses out.Hope they &#$@ on your shoes!
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Forget the big bucks ads and instead reduce beer prices.
Who cares about horses? All breweries used draft horses at the turn of the century. So did many industries.
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Locomotive Breath…you are absolutely correct! STL is destined for a complete collapse and how sad. It is truly on pace to becoming the next Detroit.
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hardtimes, absolutely correct……this was a completely manipulated ’story’ by Busch. But it certainly shows a lot about St. Louis doesn’t it. Bleeding industry for 30 years and they worry about Pujol’s contract status and if a team of horses will be on a commercial. This explains why there is no future in St. Louis……too many children……over 30.
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brito, u still don’t have a clue. I guess u will say it was all these post that caused the final down turm next year. God forbid that u take credit for being an idiot.I know he is filithy rich and making money…… so did Bernie Madoff. Just another emigrant that fell off the wagon at the right place. wonder if he relizies that he is being set up as a fall guy???
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Golterman, ABInbev would not spend money on the Kiel Opera House, they barely spend any money on making beer!!
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THANK YOU for changing your mind. I would love to see a CD/DVD of you Clydesdale
I would be happy to buy a couple!
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The PEOPLES SPEAK!!!!!!!!!!!
AB-InBev is really turning into a POS. So much for being the traditional beer company they wanted us to believe when InBev took them over.
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Forthe price of one or two spots…A-B could name at theater
in Kiel Opera House and help bring back a pitiful downtown.
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Cheap publicity stunt by our cheap brewery. And the public fell for it like a bunch of chumps. Idiots all.
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I loved “Fence” add. Great job!!!
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Maybe keep one 15-second slot an make a statement like ‘We either advertize or retain 100 workers’…
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WOW! This is an issue. Why couldn’t AB-In Bev just donate the money for the ‘Fence’ commercial to the Red Cross? What a nice problem to have. Should we show the ‘Fence’ commercial or not when there are 100s of thousands of people without a home or food. Nice going AB!!
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Actually, although the Clydesdales do hold a historical/sentimental value for the company, seeing a beer wagon being pulled by dolphins would be a good commercial.
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Just another clear indication that InBev has no idea how to effectively manage that company. Selling beer isn’t the only thing AB did. The community involvement they did and bringing the clydesdales to various major events around the country helped brand that company. The clydesdales were something people identified with and had that ‘warm and fuzzy’ feel for. Evidently the same marketing practices do not transend world wide.
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Glad to hear that the Clydesdales will be back – but I still think that Louie, Frankie & the Frogs were the best.
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Somebody came to their senses. Better late than never.
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Give it up Brito. Americans loved the Clydesdale’s for what they represented, (PAST TENSE!!), NOT for the money grubbing, greedy, lower standards, anti-worker outfit AB has turned into. The ultimate “dog and pony show”!… Sheeesh.
Google NO2IDC.
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and I hate pants
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They delated my “post’” because it told the truth.That is why THE POST-DISGRACE is a worthless rag that no one buy anymore.Not enuff paper there to wipe your tush with!
MODERATOR — Hi, Steve. I can’t remember, was your deleted post the racist screed or the curse-filled one? Stop the hate, Steve. It is not easy keeping some morsel of civility here.
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Does anyone see the irony in Sandi\’s comment (unless, hopefully, she was being sarcastic).
Now that the clydesdales are part of the picture a St. Louis ad agency lost a spot and was replaced by the Fence ad which was produced by a Chicago agency…yeah, that\’s a real great decision for St. Louis!
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what sucker punch said. The sheeple are pleased! Funny how some horses are the beloved symbol of a beer company, instead of their beer. I like brewers if they make good beer. Not because they’re good at making commercials with random animals. Dogs, ferrets, iguanas, penguins, horses, weasels… next year it’ll be Dolphins.
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Who cares. Post Dispatch is a chump for making this a “story.” Hope AB paid it for the advertising.
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Yeah, my compliments to the always gullible public. You’ve once again stepped up and shown corporate America just how easy it is to manipulate you into showing you care about something that’s utterly pointless and ridiculous. Maybe next year they can have the cast from Jersey Shore riding clydesdales or the Kardashians. Now THAT’s marketing, baby! I’m gonna be ill.
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So glad the Clydesdales will be in the Super Bowl ads. They are the most beloved symbol for Anheuser-Busch and should remain so for Ab-InBev. Can’t imgine Budweiser without them!
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Kuddos for a making great decision for the Company and St. Louis
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They had people talking about the Clydesdales not being in the Superbowl, when the always knew they were going to use them . Smart move.
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