The Controversay of the Clydesdales

A story that appeared last week in the Wall Street Journal suggested that Budweiser Beers would not be using their iconic Clydesdale horses in this year’s super bowl commercial. Instead, it was suggested that the company air a commercial targeted more towards the 21 to 27 year old age bracket due to the recent study stating that 44% of this age range of drinkers have never tried a Budweiser. Budweiser has been slowly falling out of the ranks as America’s #1 beer and marketers feel that much of this is due to the lack of younger consumers.

 The Wall Street Journal states that, “After years of developing marketing that appeals to all ages, AB In Bev (Budweiser’s parent company) plans to concentrate future Budweiser promotions exclusively on that age bracket. That means it won’t trot out the traditional Budweiser Clydesdales for this year’s holiday advertising. It means February’s Super Bowl ads will feature something more current than last year’s Fleetwood Mac.”

 Well, this created uproar. Clydesdales are the face of Budweiser beer. You know you’re watching a Budweiser commercial when you see the horses; the company doesn’t even need to show the beer or the logo in the ad for the consumer to know that it is a Budweiser commercial. The Clydesdale is Budweiser’s brand image, and it is what they are recognized for. The Clydesdales were "first introduced to the public on April 7, 1933, to celebrate the repeal of Prohibition. August A. Busch, Jr. presented the hitch as a gift to his father, August Anheuser Busch, Sr., who was guided outside the brewery by the ruse of being told his son had purchased a new car for him, but instead was greeted by the horses, pulling a red, white and gold beer wagon.The hitch proceeded to carry the first case of post-Prohibition beer from the St. Louis brewery in a special journey down Pestalozzi Street in St. Louis" (Wikipedia).Below is the first commercial aired with the Budweiser Clydesdales which aired in  1986 during Super Bowl XX.

 

 

Personally, as a 21 year old consumer, I don’t feel that the Clydesdales represent an older target segment; it shows tradition. Changing the mascot doesn’t change the taste of a beer. While it is true that Budweiser beer may appeal to an older demographic, that isn’t something that will change be reinventing the brand; what Budweiser needs to do is reposition their brand in the consumer’s minds so they see it as a beer for the younger target segment. Below is a great example of a Clydesdale commercial that I felt captured the heart of every age demographic. 

 

 Apparently, people agreed with me. According to New York Daily, Budweiser has announced that they will be using the horses in upcoming ads for Budweiser. They state that the article had it wrong and there was miscommunication, however we don’t know whether or not Budweiser simply chose to change the mascot bac or not due to the backlash.

Regardless, the Clydesdale, the iconic image of Budweiser since 1933, is here to stay and you will be sure to see it featured in one of the upcoming Budweiser holiday advertisements.