Budweiser's Emotional Super Bowl 2022 Commercial Doesn't Disappoint
Budweiser is known for creating tear-jerking Super Bowl commercials that typically air every year during the big event. In fact, the beer company came out with a new commercial every year for 37 years before taking a hiatus for the 2021 Super Bowl. In a 90-second video entitled "Bigger Picture," released ahead of the 2021 event, Budweiser explained why it had opted out of its yearly commercial. The words "... we are donating our advertising budget to the Ad Council and COVID Collaborative's vaccine education initiative" pop up at the end of a collection of videos that depict the myriad ways everyday people had been coping with the coronavirus lockdowns and restrictions. In a statement, vice president of marketing Monica Rustgi, added, "we are eager to get people back together ... to bring consumers back into neighborhood bars and restaurants that were hit exceptionally hard by the pandemic ...," as per USA Today.
Throughout the many commercials that have aired in years past, Budweiser always manages to tell a moving story while often utilizing the same cast of characters, Clydesdale horses and retriever pups. One of its most popular commercials of all time is the 2014 ad, entitled "Puppy Love," which tells the story of a puppy befriending a Clydesdale horse. According to The Washington Post, the video was so well-received that it went viral even before the Super Bowl. This year's Super Bowl ad doesn't disappoint, also featuring a Clydesdale horse and an (older) retriever while sharing an important and opportune message.
The message behind the commercial is timely and poignant
Budweiser's 2022 Super Bowl commercial tells a heartbreaking tale with a happy ending. Entitled "A Clydesdale's Journey," it begins with a Clydesdale horse running through a ranch while a retriever dog watches from afar. In a tragic turn of events, the horse falls into barbed wire fencing and sustains a serious injury. As "Star-Spangled Banner" plays in the background, the horse endures his recovery in his stall while his faithful friend checks in on him. Finally, as the commercial draws to an end, the horse can be seen running again through an open field again. The words "In the home of the brave, down never means out" flash across the screen, followed by the Budweiser logo. In the comments section of the YouTube video, fans expressed their love for Budweiser's latest commercial. One user commented, "You guys knocked it out of the park again, loved it and wiping tears away as well!"
Daniel Blake, Budweiser's vice president of marketing, spoke to USA Today Sports on February 2 to explain the company's motivation behind this particular commercial. He began by stating that the central character of a Clydesdale horse was chosen because they are seen as "a symbol of America ... of hope, of strength, of resilience." This metaphor allows the company to tell the story of an America on its own "road to recovery." The takeaway message is "that everyone can come together and feel pride that as Americans, we always bounce back."