Budweiser has released a patriotic new ad featuring its iconic Clydesdale horses just two weeks after Dylan Mulvaney's Bud Light deal sparked a huge backlash, but the public is not biting the bit.
The one-minute spot was released on social media Friday and features shots of the iconic Clydesdales galloping across the country, in open fields, and past landmarks includingthe Lincoln Memorial and the New York City skyline.
A deep-voiced narrator says that Budweiser is 'a story bigger than beer' as the horses race across the screen.
'This is the story of the American spirit,' he says.
The ad for the beer - which like Bud Light is also owned by Anheuser-Busch appears to be a pivot to return to traditional values for the brand which historically appeals to blue-collar American workers.
This is in stark difference to Bud Light's doomed partnership with trans influencer Mulvaney - which ended in a lukewarm apology from the firm's CEO.
However, online users slammed the ad as a pathetic attempt to right the ship that was permanently sent in the wrong direction with the Mulvaney partnership.
The iconic Clydesdales are shown galloping across iconic American settings
'My favorite advertisement by amile was the Clydesdales after 9/11. It was absolute perfection. After your embrace of the trans agenda, glorifying a man looking for his 15 mins of fame by mocking women. I will never buy, drink or serve your beer again,' wrote one user.
'Is the horse trans now?' wrote radio host Dan O'Donnell.
'Nope, you guys destroyed your own base and market because you had to go woke. I'll never drink any of your products again,' wrote Brandon Saario.
'Lol, hard pivot huh?' wrote Angela McArdle, the chair of the Libertarian Party.
Commentator Philip Holloway wrote: 'Don't look now Anheuser Busch and Budweiser but the Clydesdale has already left the barn. The train has sailed, the ship has left the station.'
In one shot, the ad showcases two people raising an American flag as one places her hand over her heart.
As the flag is raised, the narrator says: 'Brewed for those who found opportunity in challenge and hope in tomorrow.'
In another shot, the ad shows the downtown NYC skyline, where the Freedom tower now stands instead of the World Trade Center. At that moment, the narrator says the word: 'Remember.'
Not everyone appreciated the reference. Brandon Morse, the senior editor of Red State responded: 'I'm not sure a lineup of B-roll footage and some guy throwing middle-America buzzwords at us will win us back, and frankly, bringing 9/11 into this is kind of insulting.'
The Budweiser Clydesdales have been featured in the Budweiser Super Bowl ad for more than 30 years
The targeted ad arrives as Anheuser-Busch continues to navigate the controversy surrounding Bud Light's partnership.
Bud Light and Budweiser are distinct brands housed under the same parent company. With the new ad, the latter - often called The King of Beers - appears to be stepping in to save the reputation of Bud Light.
In her controversial ad, Mulvaney posted a clip of herself sipping from a one-off, custom Bud Light can with her face on to promote its March Madness competition - and the backlash saw parent company Anheuser-Busch lose $6billion in market cap within six days.
Mulvaney became well known for the 'days of girlhood' videos, in which the 26-year-old documented the first year of identifying as a girl.
But the TikTok star, 26, has angered some feminists and conservatives over claims she's 'play-acting' being a 'girl,' and co-opting parts of womanhood she finds interesting - without having to deal with the misogyny or prejudice many women face.
Even the Budweiser Clydesdales have not escaped the backlash against the partnership, as a Budweiser distributor in Missouri canceled all scheduled events to showcase the massive horses last week amid safety concerns.
Anheuser-Busch CEO Brendan Whitworth, 46, delivered a lackluster apology on Friday
Whitworth issued this public statement on Friday, two weeks into the controversy
Anheuser-Busch CEO Brendan Whitworth delivered a lackluster apology on Friday.
'We never intended to be part of a discussion that divides people. We are in the business of bringing people together over a beer,' said Whitworth in the statement.
In a statement after the initial blow back, the company tried to calm conservative consumers with a statement.
'Anheuser-Busch works with hundreds of influencers across our brands as one of many ways to authentically connect with audiences across various demographics and passion points.
'From time to time, we produce unique commemorative cans for fans and for brand influencers, like Dylan Mulvaney.
'This commemorative can was a gift to celebrate a personal milestone and is not for sale to the general public.'
Whitworth is seen in the early 1990s, in a feature about the sporting and academic star in his local Delaware newspaper
Whitworth qualified for theIronman World Championship - an ultra-triathlon held annually in Hawaii - but did not take up his place, joining the CIA in 2001 instead
The decision to team up with Mulvaney was reportedly made by a low-level marketing executive, but that has not stopped Whitworth and his vice president of marketing for Bud Light, Alissa Heinerscheid, from facing a torrent of criticism.
Yet few are better positioned to draw on a lifetime of challenging situations than Whitworth - an 'all American hero' and trainee doctor who joined the Marines - where he was a star athlete - and the CIA, recruiting and handling spies across the Middle East, before going to Harvard Business School.
Whitworth has lived across the United States, and has been a registered Republican for most of his life.
'I felt fortunate to have been born in the United States,' he said. 'I felt like I needed to pay that back - like I had a bit of indebtedness that I needed to pay.'
Whitworth grew up in the Alapocas Woods area just outside Wilmington, Delaware - the son of a doctor, Michael Whitworth, and his wife Sara.
He attended Salesianum School, a Catholic high school in Wilmington, and graduated in 1994, having led the school soccer team to win the state championship. He was also fiendishly academic, earning straight As in honors pre-calculus.
Whitworth then decided to follow in his father's footsteps and study medicine, attending Bucknell University in Pennsylvania.
Yet midway through his college career, he had a change of heart.
Having always admired military and government service, he decided he wanted to join the Marines, attending Officer Cadet School and being commissioned as a lieutenant in his senior year.
Whitworth played soccer at high school in Wilmington and at Bucknell University in Pennsylvania
His grandfather worked at the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), serving under President Hoover, before running the training in Quantico, Virginia.
'That's where kind of the attachment to serving the country came from,' Whitworth told Fox News in an October interview.
By the age of 25, Whitworth, 6ft 2in and 185lbs, was stationed at Camp Pendleton in California, and making headlines as an Ironman.
He ran the Marine Corp Marathon in a remarkable two hours 55 minutes, and the following year qualified for the Ironman World Championship - an ultra-triathlon held annually in Hawaii.
Whitworth did not take up his place, however: by then, he had decided to leave the Marines, after three years, and join the CIA.
In the aftermath of 9/11, from 2001-6, Whitworth worked in some of the toughest spots around the globe at the height of the War on Terror - Pakistan, Tunisia, Iraq.
His LinkedIn describes his role as: 'Specialized in the recruitment and handling of human sources with access to vital intelligence that prevented and disrupted terrorist threats.'
The CEO of Anheuser-Busch is seenduring a Belgian Economic Mission to the U.S. in June 2022. AB-InBev, the parent company for Anheuser-Busch, is based in Belgium
Whitworth is seen addressing an Anheuser-Busch gathering
His family were proud, but worried.
His older sister Kelty - an All-American swimmer at Ursuline Academy in Delaware, who then went to Harvard - told him it was time to get out.
'While she appreciated what I had been doing she, as any protective sibling would be, was constantly saying, 'OK, you've done eight years now … What do you think about prioritizing yourself?'' he told Fox Business.
Whitworth described his sister as being a 'strong, well-grounded opinion' in his life.
He reluctantly agreed with her, but on the condition that he would only leave if he got in to Harvard, like her.
'There are a bunch of great business schools but I always felt like she had something on me, too,' he explained.
'So, I was like, 'All right, fine, I'm going to go there'.'
He prepared for his Graduate Management Admission Test while in Baghdad, studying late at night after his CIA shifts ended.
In 2006 he arrived in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
Whitworth continued to play sports, particularly rugby.
But he focused on his studies, and on graduation landed a prime job with PepsiCo.
In 2013, he joined AB-Inbev - the Belgian-based brewing company, formed from the merger of US firm Anheuser-Busch with brewing companies around the world.
He rose up the ranks, leading trade marketing, category and sales technology divisions before becoming US Chief Sales Officer in November 2017, and finally US CEO.
'It's hard to find a few things that are as closely attached to the United States of America than Anheuser-Busch,' he said at the time of his appointment, in July 2021.
Whitworth is seen in a Budweiser hoody greeting drinkers at a trade fair
'That passion for the country just naturally connected to a passion for Anheuser-Busch and I grew up drinking Budweiser.
'I would bring Budweiser to college parties, and not even really care what was in the keg.'
Whitworth credits his Marine training with helping him rise to the top of corporate America.
'They put you through a process to screen you, to see if do you have the capabilities to lead Marines,' he said.
'Then they give you what they believe are the right leadership principles and then they give you a platoon of Marines, and you have to go see if that all works.
'That early experience gave me an appreciation that I've continued to build upon — what it means to connect with, sell to, market to someone from Philadelphia or somebody from San Antonio.'
It's certainly made him a wealthy man.
Whitworth is believed to earn $12 million a year, and lives with his wife Meredith in a $7 million apartment on the Upper East Side, close to Central Park.
He will draw on all of his experience as he helps Anheuser-Busch weather the Mulvaney storm.
'None of us get it right every time. We're not supposed to,' he told Business Insider, in the November 2021 interview about his hiring technique.
'But I want to see people that get it wrong and then quickly move on to try and get it right.'
Anheuser-Busch defended gifting Dylan Mulvaney her personalized can in a statement: 'From time to time, we produce unique commemorative cans for fans and for brand influencers, like Mulvaney. This commemorative can was a gift to celebrate a personal milestone and is not for sale'
In early April, Mulvaney shared a video of herself in a bathtub sipping from a can of Bud Light to announce her new partnership with the brand
The company has been hit with a barrage of complaints, with many customers filming themselves pouring the liquid away
Last week, the company's doubling down only enraged angered customers more.
Onlookers are now criticizing the maneuver as a shameless publicity grab, amid the recent trend of companies going 'woke' to better their bottom lines.
Alissa Heinerscheid, Bud Light vice president of marketing, previously stoked the flames of the controversy by saying she had a mandate to update the brand's 'fratty' and 'out-of-touch' image.
'I'm a businesswoman. I had a really clear job to do when I took over Bud Light, and it was "This brand is in decline, it’s been in a decline for a really long time, and if we do not attract young drinkers to come and drink this brand there will be no future for Bud Light,"' she said in a video that has been heavily criticized.
'It’s like we need to evolve and elevate this incredibly iconic brand,' she added.
'What does evolve and elevate mean? It means inclusivity. It means shifting the tone. It means having a campaign that’s truly inclusive and feels lighter and brighter and different.
'And appeals to women and to men,' she concluded in an interview from March 30.
FAQs
Will Budweiser have a Clydesdale commercial 2023? ›
This patriotic Budweiser ad 2023 aims to evoke the classic Budweiser vibe, with the iconic Clydesdale running through scenes of blue-collar America, first responders, firefighters, and farmers sharing a cold one. The narrator concludes the spot with a grand statement: “This story is bigger than beer.
Why did Budweiser stop making Clydesdale commercials? ›A Budweiser distributor in Missouri is canceling events featuring the beer giant's famous Clydesdale horses as Bud Light faces boycott threats over its marketing partnership with transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney.
What is the new Budweiser Pro America ad with iconic mascot? ›The advertisement, which was released on social media Friday, features one of Budweiser's famous Clydesdale horses traversing the country from New York City to the Grand Canyon, passing by scenes in the American heartland as a narrator delivers a patriotic message.
Where can I see the Budweiser Clydesdales in 2023? ›Warm Springs Ranch, home of Budweiser Clydesdales, set to open for 2023 season. The horses at Warm Springs Ranch are set to give their welcome, helping visitors gallop — or, at least, trot — out of winter's doldrums and into a fresh, new season.
What happens to the Budweiser Clydesdales when they retire? ›Clydesdales retire to prestigious homes such as Anheuser-Busch's Grant's Farm, in St. Louis, or other display stables. > Members of the breed can live to 20 years old and beyond.
Are the Budweiser Clydesdales in Super Bowl 2023? ›For the record, the Clydesdales were in Budweiser's 2023 Super Bowl ad, but it was a blink-and-you-miss-it type appearance.
What happens to Budweiser Clydesdales that don t make the cut? ›"They must have a white blaze, a black mane and tail ... and four white, stocking feet." Those that don't make the cut are sold for roughly $5,000 apiece. But some of the mares, like 8-year-old Darla, the mother of Budweiser's future Super Bowl star, are kept around to keep future generations going.
Who owns the Budweiser Clydesdales now? ›Presently, the Budweiser Clydesdales reside at the Anheuser-Busch breweries in St. Louis for public viewing. Visitors can also see the Clydesdales up-close at Warm Springs Ranch, the premier Budweiser Clydesdales breeding establishment in Boonville, Missouri.
What is the number one selling beer in America? ›Bud Light trailed with a 7.3% share in the period. Bud Light sales fell 24.6% in the period year over year, while Modelo sales jumped 10.2%, the data shows. Still, the Anheuser-Busch InBev brand Bud Light leads U.S. beer sales so far this year, according to Bump Williams.
What was the old Budweiser slogan? ›After the ban was lifted, the slogan “King of Bottled Beer” returned and Anheuser-Busch once again began brewing its signature brand. A bottle of Budweiser beer. The slogan was changed to the “King of Beers” in the mid-twentieth century as aluminum cans became a more popular form of packaging.
What is the oldest commercial mascot? ›
Launched in 1882, the Quaker Oats man was the first (according to the company) branded cereal mascot.
What are the Budweiser dogs called? ›Meet the newest member of the Budweiser Clydesdale family, Barley. In 1950, the Budweiser Clydesdales received their very own mascot: the Dalmatian. Since then, Dalmatians have served as friend and companion to the Budweiser Clydesdale team, sitting aside the driver.
How much does it cost to have the Budweiser Clydesdales at an event? ›This month, Anheuser-Busch quietly started charging a $2,000-per-day fee for public appearances by its Budweiser Clydesdales, ending the decades-long practice of the brewer absorbing almost all of the cost of showcasing its iconic horses before adoring crowds.
Are the Budweiser Clydesdales male or female? ›"There's several qualifications they have to meet to be on a Budweiser hitch. One of them is they have to be a gelding, that's a male horse. They have to be bay in color, have a black mane and tale, white blaze face, and with Clydesdales there's always the famous white feathers.
How much does it cost to get the Budweiser Clydesdales? ›Most sell for $2,500-$5,000, but top-level horses can fetch $10,000 or even cost as much as a luxury car. Factors affecting that price include the horse's bloodline, size, age, color, markings and level of training.
How many years do Clydesdales live? ›Clydesdales generally live into their late teens to early twenties.
Are the Budweiser Clydesdales gelded? ›In order to join the World Famous Budweiser hitch, a Clydesdale must: stand at least 18 hands high (6 feet tall) be a gelding and at least 4 years old. have a bay coat, four white stockings, a blaze of white on the face, a black mane and a black tail.
Are the Budweiser Clydesdales all male horses? ›To qualify for one of the hitches, a Budweiser Clydesdale must be a gelding with an even temperament and strong, draft horse appearance, be at least four years old, stand at least 18 hands (72 inches, 183 cm) at the withers when fully mature, and weigh between 1,800 and 2,300 pounds (820 and 1,040 kg).
Who are the 4 new baby Budweiser Clydesdales? ›In the last few weeks, four new additions to the Anheuser-Busch team were born at Warm Springs Ranch. Baby boy Clydesdales, Razor, Stinger, Baron, and Sergeant. Each one was named with the first letter of their mom's name. “All boys, all perfect color, the future looks bright for the Budweiser Clydesdales,” Trout said.
Who are the 4 new Clydesdales? ›The four colts, Barron, Sergeant, Stinger and Razor, were born recently on the Warm Springs Ranch property, a 300-plus-acre facility for the Budweiser Clydesdales in Boonville, Missouri — located about 150 miles west of St. Louis.
Will the Super Bowl have Budweiser Clydesdales? ›
Budweiser opted to focus its primetime commercial on how Budweiser is consumed and celebrated by various, diverse groups of people, rather than show Clydesdales rushing through blizzards with Budweiser bottles and a puppy in tote.
What does Budweiser do to horses tails? ›PETA claims that Budweiser “misled” the public by claiming the horses have their hair trimmed. An undercover investigation, however, found that two members of staff from Budweiser's breeding and training facilities admitted that the tails are severed permanently at the tailbone.
Does Budweiser amputated Clydesdales tails? ›Anheuser-Busch has used the massive horses in its signature Budweiser commercials and at promotional events to pull wagons of beer for decades. The tradition of docking their tails was meant to keep their hair from getting tangled in the wagon hitches, but it's used for purely cosmetic purposes today, Guillermo said.
Are the Budweiser Clydesdales treated well? ›These special draft horses are treated like royalty. After training, they're pampered with long grooming sessions. Although they work hard, there is plenty of time to relax and just be horses.
Can you buy a Budweiser Clydesdale? ›Clydesdale horses can be purchased privately. In fact, Budweiser even sells foals to the public but there are many other breeders you can choose from as well.
Can you ride a Clydesdale? ›Can you ride Clydesdales? Yes! Most equipment manufactures now offer saddles, bits and bridles in draft horse sizes. The Clydesdales are very easy to train and their great style is a hit in the show ring.
How many Clydesdales are left? ›Since Clydesdale horses were primarily used as draft horses, some of the demand for them disappeared when cars and machines were invented. This caused the breed to decline in popularity. Today, there are only about 5.000 Clydesdale horses left worldwide.
Which country drink the most beer? ›The Czech Republic remained the world's top in per-capita beer consumption for the 29th consecutive year since 1993. Among the top 35 countries, eight countries saw a decrease in consumption from 2020 to 2021.
Which U.S. city has the best beer? ›"No matter how you pour it, Pittsburgh comes out on top," says The Best Beer Cities in the U.S. study that analyzed various data to make its rankings. "The Steel City boasts a high rate of bars and breweries and has one of the most affordable beer scenes in the country."
What state consumes the most beer? ›Naturally, the most populous states in the U.S. consume the most beer by volume. California leads the pack with over 772 million gallons consumed per annum. Rounding out the top five states that drink the most beer are Texas, Florida, Pennsylvania, and New York, respectively.
Who is the king of all beers? ›
The Budweiser from Budějovice has been called "The Beer of Kings" since the 16th century. Adolphus Busch adapted this slogan to "The King of Beers." This history notwithstanding, Anheuser Busch owns the trademark to these slogans in the United States.
What does Budweiser stand for? ›BUDWEISER - Remember Every Soldier in Every War Died under Battle (backward slang) | AcronymFinder.
Who is now the king of beers? ›Budweiser American-Style Lager. King of Beers since 1876. Budweiser.
What food brand has two mascots? ›What you might not know about Chick-fil-A is that the chain has two different mascots. The original was a chicken named Doodles. You can still see the shape of its head in the logo.
What was McDonald's mascot throughout the years? ›The characters that remained following the lawsuit were Ronald McDonald, Grimace, Hamburglar and the French Fry Gobblins (renamed the Fry Guys and later the Fry Kids with the addition of the Fry Girls) while Mayor McCheese, Officer Big Mac, Captain Crook and the Professor were used until 1985.
What are the oldest running commercials? ›The world's longest running TV commercial is the Discount Tire Company's Thank you commercial, produced by Swartwout Productions (Arizona, USA) and first aired in 1975. The same commercial has been aired continuously every year in parts of the USA.
What dog rides with the Clydesdales? ›The Mascots' Roots
The Dalmatian didn't join the Clydesdales hitch until 1950. Not likely to lose its place as the Clydesdales' mascot any time soon, the Dalmatian is the perfect dog for the job.
While Snoopy is known to be a beagle, Bayley's breed of Mini Sheepadoodle – the result of crossing an Old English Sheepdog with a Miniature Poodle – has resulted in a near carbon copy of the drawn animal, in real life. Snoopy is the famously silent dog that originated in the “Peanuts” comic strip by Charles M.
What famous dog has a spot on his eye? ›Pete the Pup (original, 1924 – June 1930; second Pete, September 9, 1929 – January 28, 1946) was a character in Hal Roach's Our Gang comedies (later known as The Little Rascals) during the 1930s, otherwise known as "Pete, the dog with the ring around his eye", or simply "Petey".
Will there be a new Clydesdale commercial? ›You'll have to pay attention if you want to see the Budweiser Clydesdales in a Super Bowl commercial this Sunday. The iconic horses make only a very brief appearance at the start of an advertisement for the beer.
Will there be a Clydesdale commercial? ›
After sitting out the 2021 Super Bowl to focus on philanthropic causes, Anheuser-Busch came back strong with a 1-minute spot featuring the brand's majestic Budweiser Clydesdales in 2022. There won't be a repeat in 2023. Instead, we'll be stuck reminiscing about previous years' Clydesdale commercials.
Where will the Budweiser Clydesdales be? ›Where Legends Are Born. Warm Springs Ranch is the official breeding facility of the Budweiser Clydesdales. Resting on 300-plus acres of rolling hills in the heart of Missouri, our state-of-the-art establishment will take your breath away.
What's up Budweiser commercial year? ›Whassup? (also known as Wazzup) was a commercial campaign for Budweiser beer from 1999 to 2002. The first spot aired during Monday Night Football on December 20, 1999. The ad campaign ran in much of the world and became a pop culture catchphrase, comically slurring "what's up?".
How much is the Budweiser Clydesdales appearance fee? ›This month, Anheuser-Busch quietly started charging a $2,000-per-day fee for public appearances by its Budweiser Clydesdales, ending the decades-long practice of the brewer absorbing almost all of the cost of showcasing its iconic horses before adoring crowds.
Are the Budweiser Clydesdales all male? ›"There's several qualifications they have to meet to be on a Budweiser hitch. One of them is they have to be a gelding, that's a male horse. They have to be bay in color, have a black mane and tale, white blaze face, and with Clydesdales there's always the famous white feathers.
Do the Budweiser Clydesdales still travel? ›Presently, the Budweiser Clydesdales reside at the Anheuser-Busch breweries in St. Louis for public viewing. Visitors can also see the Clydesdales up-close at Warm Springs Ranch, the premier Budweiser Clydesdales breeding establishment in Boonville, Missouri. Both attractions are open seasonally.
Why did Budweiser leave the Super Bowl 2023? ›The beer wasn't chosen for a national spot because its sales are “extremely regional,” Garbe said, and revealed that the roughly 150-year-old brand will be relaunched this year to focus on a “younger and multicultural audience.”
What gender are Budweiser Clydesdales? ›The Budweiser Clydesdale Stables at Grant's Farm house approximately 35 mares, stallions and foals, with an average of 15 foals produced each year.
Can you own a Clydesdale horse? ›Can you buy a Clydesdale Horse? Clydesdale horses can be purchased privately. In fact, Budweiser even sells foals to the public but there are many other breeders you can choose from as well.
How long do Clydesdales live? ›Clydesdales generally live into their late teens to early twenties.
How many Clydesdales are left in the world? ›
Since Clydesdale horses were primarily used as draft horses, some of the demand for them disappeared when cars and machines were invented. This caused the breed to decline in popularity. Today, there are only about 5.000 Clydesdale horses left worldwide.
Who is the older guy on the beer commercial? ›The Most Interesting Man in the World was an advertising campaign for Dos Equis beer featuring actor Jonathan Goldsmith as a bearded, debonair older gentleman with voiceovers that were both humorous and outrageous. The advertisements first began appearing in the United States in 2006 and became a popular Internet meme.
Who wrote the Budweiser jingle? ›"Here Comes the King" is a well-known advertising jingle written for Budweiser, whose slogan is "The King of Beers." Budweiser is the flagship brand of the Anheuser-Busch brewery. Copyrighted in 1971, the music and lyrics are by Steve Karmen, who also wrote six other jingles for Anheuser-Busch.