November 14, 2021
One series of advertisements that I find touching and impactful is the Budweiser Clydesdale commercials. These commercials somehow find a way to invoke viewers with emotion. They illustrate loneliness and worry that viewers like myself can relate to. Budweiser’s commercials with the Clydesdale horses are some of the most popular and well received commercials of all time. Their commercials have come during the Super Bowl, the “Super Bowl” of commercials. In fact, from 2001 to 2015, Anheuser-Busch won USA Today’s Ad Meter ranking out of all Super Bowl ads. Based on this, it is clear these Budweiser advertisements have had a lasting impression on the public. These commercials with the Clydesdale horses are now expected each year and they have become staples during the Super Bowl.
.jpg)
In one of these commercials in 2015, a man on a farm loses his dog and spends time looking for it and putting up flyers with a picture of it. This is relatable to everyone. Everyone can imagine losing a pet who they love dearly. I remember watching this commercial and feeling sad. In the end the adorable dog encounters a wolf. The dog whimpers. Then, a pack of Clydesdale horses appear behind the dog and the dog gains courage to bark at the wolf. The wolf then runs off. The commercial cuts to the dog running up to the ranch where the man lives followed by the pack of Clydesdales. The dog and man then embrace in a touching, feel good moment. The emotional appeal in this commercial allows for viewers like myself to remember the empathy they felt when watching it. The feel good moment at the end of the commercial has become a staple of Budweiser Clydesdale commercials. The Clydesdale horses represent a feeling of protection and togetherness. The puppy represents innocence. The man represents everyone who has owned a pet they have ever loved. The iconic Budweiser Clydesdale commercials make everyone feel good in the end, and everyone loves them, making them very memorable, doing what great advertisements do.