Finance & Business World

ST. LOUIS — The Budweiser Clydesdales might be headed back to the Super Bowl after all.

Just two days after trumpeting a lineup of nine Super Bowl ads that did not include the popular horses, Anheuser-Busch said Thursday it has reconsidered. The brewer plans to release a Clydesdales ad and two other Budweiser ads on its Facebook page today to gauge public reaction.

The original Clydesdales spot — which fell short in focus group testing — has been reworked and might make it to the big game, according to A-B’s top marketing executive.

"This was a surprise opportunity that wasn’t in our hands until yesterday," Keith Levy, A-B marketing vice president, said Thursday evening.

Levy downplayed the notion that the change of heart was motivated by widespread criticism of A-B’s original decision to bench the Clydesdales, which have appeared in Budweiser ads for at least the last eight consecutive Super Bowls.

"We simply did not have a spot in our hands that did well" in testing, Levy said, although he noted A-B did "have some contact" from upset consumers that could have spurred A-B to revisit the ad.

Levy also said this was not part of an intentional publicity plan. Super Bowl advertising expert John Antil believed him.

"I think this is more about them just saving face," said Antil, a University of Delaware marketing professor. "I don’t think this is some kind of test."

Sidelining the Clydesdales drew plenty of criticism. Readers called and complained to the Post-Dispatch and on message boards. Twitter was burning. "Say it ain’t so! They’re the reason I watch!" wrote one woman. "What are they thinking?" lamented another. And: "Boo Hiss! Everybody loves the Clydesdales!"

The Clydesdales debuted in Budweiser TV ads in 1956 and have appeared in 15 Super Bowl ads. A-B bought five minutes of the pricey, precious ad time — an estimated $2.5 million for a 30-second spot— for the Feb. 7 football game, the year’s biggest advertising spectacle that is expected to be watched by at least 100 million people.

Levy said three ads would be released sometime before noon today at facebook.com/budweiser, the brand’s page on the social networking site. If the brewer selects the Clydesdales spot for the Super Bowl, it could result in a total reworking of A-B’s ad lineup because the new horse spot is 60 seconds long and would be replacing a 30-second spot.

The ad, created by Chicago ad agency DDB, opens with two baby horses — one is a Clydesdale — separated by a fence and running through a field. The ad follows the horses as they grow up together. It is a story about friendship and lifelong bonds, Levy said.

Kind of like those between some consumers and the Clydesdales.

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