There have been a lot of memorable stars created by Super Bowl commercials over the years — the tiny Darth Vader, Mean Joe Greene, Danica Patrick, that creepy talking baby — but none with the lasting appeal of a team of enormous draught horses.
The Budweiser Clydesdales have been a part of the big game since the 1986 Super Bowl, when the Clydesdales tromped through the snow while a chorus chirped “when you say Bud you’ve said it all.”
The Clydesdales appeared during the 1991, ’92 and ’95 Super Bowls, but it was the 1996 ad that pictured two teams of horses playing football in a snow-covered mountain meadow that set a new standard. Jeff Knapper, Anheuser-Busch’s general manager for Clydesdale operations, said a team of Clydesdales trained near Jackson Hole, Wyo., for several months to prepare for the commercial shoot. Horses were trained to make specific moves, first individually, then in groups.
“I’d say 95 percent of the stuff you see is real stuff, real horses doing it,” Knapper said.
One exception: A puppet hoof was used to kick the football. “They can kick with their back legs, but that action isn’t natural.”
Computer-generated imagery was used in another memorable Clydesdale commercial. The post-9/11 commercial, “Respect,” showed the team bowing with the Manhattan skyline in the background. The first two horses in the team really did bow. Their images were then duplicated to make it appear as if the whole team was doing likewise.
Here are some of the best of the Clydesdale Super Bowl commercials.
Football
Year: 1996
A football game between teams of Clydesdales comes down to a last-second field goal.
Clydesdale Dream
Year: 1998A young Clydesdale runs alongside the team, separated by a fence. As he runs out of room, the lead Clydesdale turns and winks.
Separated at Birth
Year: 1999
Two Dalmatians, separated as puppies, meet again years later, one atop a fire truck, the other riding on the Clydesdale wagon.
Respect
Year: 2002
Somber spot in which the team pays respect to the victims of the 9/11 attacks.
Replay
Year: 2003
Clydesdales wait on the football field as a zebra goes under the hood to study a replay. “This referee’s a jackass,” remarks a cowboy watching the game. “Nope, I believe that’s a zebra,” replies another.
Born a Donkey
Year: 2004
A donkey aspires to join the team, going so far as to try hair extensions on his lower legs.
Snowball Fight
Year: 2005
Young Clydesdales start a snowball fight with their elders, who respond by dumping a tree full of snow on them.
American Dream
Year: 2006
A young Clydesdale tries to pull the wagon by himself. He finally gets it to move, not realizing that the older horses are secretly pushing it from behind.
Lamb Streaker
Year: 2006
A return to the football theme. A shorn lamb “streaks” through the field. “Didn’t need to see that,” notes a cowboy.
Spot Wink
Year: 2007
A white mutt gets splashed with mud spots, joins a parade alongside a Dalmatian.
Team
Year: 2008
Hank the Clydesdale misses the cut for the team, trains to “Rocky” music, “high-fives” his Dalmatian trainer when he finally makes it.
Stick
Year: 2009
Clydesdale watches as a Dalmatian fetches a stick, gets a treat. The horse runs off and returns with a huge tree branch.
Circus
Year: 2009
Clydesdale falls in love with a dancing circus horse, chases her across the country.
Generations
Year: 2009
A Clydesdale narrator tells how he is following in the hoofsteps of his great-grandfather, who came from Scotland to join the first Clydesdale team.
Fences
Year: 2010
A calf and a young Clydesdale grow up on opposite sides of a fence. Three years later, the calf — now a bull — crashes through the fence to be with his old pal, who now leads the team.
Wild West
Year: 2011
The team arrives just in time to stop a desperado from busting up an Old West saloon. The whole place erupts into a chorus of Elton John’s “Tiny Dancer” in appreciation.
Return of the King
Year: 2012
Clydesdales and beer wagon announce the end of Prohibition.
Brotherhood
Year: 2013
At a Chicago parade, a Clydesdale trainer is reunited with the horse he raised.
Puppy Love
Year: 2014
Dogs and Clydesdales are a common fixture in Budweiser commercials, but the bond between a puppy and the iconic horses is extraordinary.
Lost Dog
Year: 2015
The puppy returns, and much like the first installment, the Clydesdales are looking out for their young friend. | Read more
Not Backing Down
Year: 2016
No puppies. No sentimental horse trainers. No pastoral scenes. Budweiser introduces a bold new campaign.
A Clydesdale’s Journey
Year: 2022
Budweiser reunites Clydesdale and dog. But it’s not the warm and fuzzy Superbowl commercial of the two we’re used to. | Read more
Old-School Delivery
Year: 2024
When a snowstorm threatens delivery of Budweiser to a local bar, the Clydesdales have a plan. But they’ll need the help of a yellow Lab. | Read more
First Delivery
Year: 2025
Determined to prove his worth, a Clydesdale foal rescues a stray keg and delivers it to a local bar. The ad features a foal, the first one since 2013’s “Brotherhood.” | Read more
American Icons
Marking milestones for the brewer and the United States, the 60-second “American Icons” spot pairs Budweiser’s world-famous Clydesdales and America’s symbol of freedom in a story set to the soundtrack of “Free Bird,” the signature song of Jacksonville-based Lynyrd Skynyrd, making it an instant classic. | Read more
(This story was updated to include new information.)
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: A history of Budweiser Clydesdales Super Bowl commercials
Reporting by Tom Szaroleta and Gary T. Mills, Florida Times-Union / Florida Times-Union
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