Business

Budweiser benches the Clydesdales

For the first time in at least eight years, Budweiser’s high-stepping horses — arguably the most recognizable mascots in the beverage business — are sitting out this year’s Super Bowl.

As in past years, Budweiser’s parent, Anheuser-Busch, produced a Clydesdales spot for the game but didn’t wind up using the ad because it didn’t “test” as well with focus groups. The move is the latest in a string of marketing changes that have taken place at A-B since it was purchased by Belgian brewing giant InBev in 2008.

The brewer, which has bought five minutes of pricey Super Bowl time, is typically the biggest advertiser during the game. A single 30-second spot during the Feb. 7 game aired by CBS costs between $2.5 million and $2.8 million.

Last year, A-B’s Super Bowl line-up was heavy on horses, with at least three Clydesdale spots. The horses always appear in warm-hearted and nostalgic ads, such as young Clydesdale that trains like boxing champ “Rocky” to be on the wagon team. This year, the company decided to go with more humor.

A-B said the Clydesdales will still appear in its ads, just not in this year’s big game.

The company introduced the Clydesdales in 1933 to celebrate the end of Prohibition. The horses thurndered down the streets of St. Louis, carrying the first case of post-Prohibition beer from A-B.