Source: The Clydesdales: "Brotherhood" Budweiser Super Bowl Commercial, 2013
What would the Super Bowl broadcast be without the Budweiser Clydesdales? The millions of viewers of the game between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers will get to find out as the beer brand has decided to take a pass on advertising on this year’s television broadcast. It will mark the first time in 37 years that a Bud spot did not appear during the game.
“A key learning from 2020 is that we must prioritize humanity and purpose,” said Marcel Marcondes, US CMO, Anheuser-Busch, in a statement.
Mr. Marcondes said funds earmarked to promote Bud during the Super Bowl broadcast will be moved “to support the Ad Council and public awareness and education throughout the year for the COVID-19 vaccination effort. This commitment is an investment in a future where we can all get back together safely over a beer.”
A-B hasn’t pulled all of its commercials from the game — it still has four minutes worth of spots produced by other brands in its portfolio.
This Super Bowl broadcast will also include the first corporate spot from the beer giant. The commercial will seek to highlight for viewers “the real-life moments — big and small — when being together matters most,” according to a corporate press release. The ad will reintroduce Anheuser-Busch as a company having a “meaningful impact far beyond the products it sells.”
The Bud brand isn’t the only one that decided against running commercials during the broadcast. PepsiCo has chosen to forgo advertising its Pepsi brand in order to focus on Frito-Lay and Mountain Dew products. Coca-Cola, Audi and Avocados from Mexico have completely pulled all spots from the game.