First glimpse at Budweiser’s $7 million Super Bowl 58 commercial with iconic Clydesdales – as beleaguered parent company Anheuser Busch stages comeback after Bud Light fiasco

A first glimpse of the Budweiser Super Bowl 58 commercial shows a revival of the iconic Clydesdales as beleaguered parent company Anheuser Busch attempts to make a comeback after the Bud Light fiasco.

‘Good Morning America’ unveiled an exclusive look at the new advert on Wednesday, which features a special guest appearance from a Clydesdale superstar named Olaf.

The inside tells the story of a Labrador who comes to the rescue of the Clydesdales as they struggle to navigate the storm.

The triumphant journey ends with the safe return of the horses being welcomed home by a cheering crowd celebrating with a Budweiser in hand – and a final message reading ‘Delivering Since 1876.’

The ad will air in full during the Super Bowl on February 11. Based on last year’s ad rates, the 30-second Budweiser commercial could cost as much as $7 million.

Kristina Punwani, chief marketing officer at Budweiser USA, said in a statement: “Budweiser has been synonymous with the Super Bowl for decades and the broadcast remains a very special moment for our brand and a core pillar of our advertising strategy.

“We knew there was no better way to show Budweiser’s continued commitment to its fans than with our biggest celebrities.”

The anticipated ad was directed by Academy Award-nominated filmmaker and Emmy Award-winning commercial Henry Alex Rubin.

There’s a long tradition of Super Bowl ads featuring the Clydesdales, but their presence isn’t guaranteed every year.

“The Clydesdales are always something up for discussion and consideration,” Punwani countered Variety magazine. “And this year it felt like the right time to bring them back.”

Budweiser has used the iconic Clydesdales in parades, television commercials and at the Super Bowl for nearly a century.

But last February, a shocking PETA investigation revealed that the ‘King of Beers’ mutilates his world-famous Budweiser Clydesdales solely for ‘cosmetic reasons’.

PETA claimed the company is harboring an “ugly and dirty secret” about the cruel way it treats these animals to make them look a certain way when they pull the wagon.

A nine-month investigation last year at Warm Springs Ranch in Missouri – the official breeding facility of Budweiser Clydesdales and Grant’s farm – found that some horses have their tailbones amputated while they are still foals.

‘Tail docking’ is traditionally done to prevent horses’ tails from interfering with carriage equipment. In some cases, a scalpel is used to cut part of the horse’s spine. Or a tight band is used to restrict blood flow, causing it to die and fall off.

But the barbaric practice has been described by an equine vet as ‘surgical abuse’.

It has also been condemned by the American Veterinary Medical Association and the American Association of Equine Practitioners – unless medically necessary. And it is illegal in ten states and many European countries.

The commercial launch comes after the brand suffered massive sales losses in the wake of Bud Light’s disastrous flagging campaign Dylan Mulvaney.

The beer brand, the official beer sponsor of the NFL, released a teaser of its own 60-second commercial last Thursday, saying it will expand its “Easy to Drink, Easy to Enjoy” platform.

“The brand is back with a humorous spot that introduces a new character to the Bud Light universe and some familiar faces from the platforms the brand has been passionate about for years,” said Bud Light parent company Anheuser-Busch.

Based on last year’s Super Bowl ad rates, the 60-second commercial could cost as much as $14 million.

The twelve-second preview opens with a close-up of a Bud Light quilted jacket and a mustached man wearing sunglasses, as Steppenwolf’s Magic Carpet Ride plays in the background.

Bud Light sales suffered in 2023, largely due to a boycott of the beer following a collaboration with transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney.

Through the first two weeks of 2024, Bud Light accounted for just 7.4 percent of retail beer sales, down 28.9 percent from the year before, according to NIQ data analyzed by consulting firm Bump Williams and quoted by The Wall Street Journal.

In the controversial promotion, Mulvaney posted a video of herself opening a Bud Light on her Instagram page on April 1.

She showed off the personalized tin with her face on it – one of many freebies she received and promoted to her millions of followers.

Bud Light was accused of alienating its traditional customer base by partnering with Mulvaney, prompting many conservatives – including Kid Rock – to boycott the brand.

The setback led to plummeting sales and the takeover of Modelo Especial as America’s number one beer brand.

Anheuser-Busch lost $390 million in sales in the second quarter compared to the previous year.

By December, sales of the beer had still not recovered, despite the company partnering with NFL stars in a marketing campaign in an effort to boost sales.

In the four weeks ended December 9, Bud Light retail sales fell 28 percent compared to the same period in 2022.