AdMiration feature: Budweiser's "First Delivery"

For this week’s AdMiration feature, we looked at consumer response to Budweiser’s “First Delivery” ad. The ad was pre-released ahead of Super Bowl LIX and is part of their campaign leading up to the big game. 

Read on to get our 3-2-1 snapshot of the ad (3 facts, 2 learnings and 1 reflection) and learn how their ad was received based on our data.

The ad opens to a shot of a barn sitting next to a brick Budweiser factory, quickly switching to a view from inside the barn, where a Budweiser horse handler is caring for a group of Clydesdale horses. He begins petting a young Clydesdale that approaches him, saying, “Woah there, still too little, buddy.”       

The scene shifts to a full train of Clydesdale horses leaving the barn, pulling a Budweiser carriage of kegs, while the young Clydesdale watches them leave with a side eye and a huff.  

However, as they gallop off, the young Clydesdale notices a keg that rolls off of the carriage. He leaps over the stable fence towards the keg and starts rolling it down the road, on a first delivery mission. The Bellamy Brother’s “Let Your Love Flow” begins to play as the young Clydesdale is shown rolling the keg through the hills, over train tracks and even down a stream — where it’s nearly lost after falling down a waterfall. 

The scene shifts to the Budweiser handler, who finally reached the destination and notices the missing keg. As he turns around to make what remains of the delivery, the townspeople see who other than the young Clydesdale rolling the keg into town!  

The ad ends with two men in a bar playing pool, with one man kicking off a joke, “So a horse walks into a bar and…” just as the young Clydesdale enters, keg rolling in ahead. The Budweiser handler stares at the young Clydesdale in surprise as the words “Delivering since 1876” appear on screen. The ad closes with the Budweiser handler laughing and shaking his head, then pans to a close-up of a fresh pint of Budweiser being poured and the phrase “This Bud’s for you.” 

3 facts

• This year’s Budweiser Super Bowl ad spot is highly successful in driving potential to drive short term sales as well as build the brand, achieving a perfect 100 for Sales Impact and 98 for Brand Impact.

• The ad evokes strong feelings of love from viewers — driving high Love reactions (48% vs a norm of 28%) and an Overall Emotion score of 73 (compared to a norm of 56). This is largely due to the great storytelling and trademark Clydesdales (particularly the brave young foal). 

• The ad is very engaging. At 100 seconds long, the audience was captivated throughout, with 90% of viewers watching the full ad! This is not easy to accomplish in a world with shortened attention spans and is a testament to the great storytelling within the ad. 

2 learnings 

• Distinctive brand assets (DBAs) are a key element for success. When done right, it can serve as an indicator that allows people to immediately recognize your brand. The use of DBAs can also allow for some creative freedom when it comes to the storyline, opening up more opportunities for great storytelling without having to “force” the brand. The best DBAs are those that the brand “owns” fully, can be used consistently and have an innate ability to create emotion for the brand.

• Fresh consistency is also a powerful element for brands when it comes to advertising. Budweiser’s consistent use of the Clydesdales resonates with viewers and cues the brand, and are also able to be delivered with fresh storylines that make it feel fresh but also familiar — almost like a series you get hooked on.

1 reflection

Do you treat your ads like mini movies, thinking about each moment, character and setting to take people on an emotional journey? Great storytelling goes a long way in advertising, hooking your audience, getting them involved and having the ad stick with them long after it airs. That memorability is a very powerful way to get people to remember your brand and how it made them feel.

Created by FCB New York and directed by Academy Award-nominated filmmaker and Emmy Award-winning Henry Alex Rubin, Budweiser’s 90-second Super Bowl spot titled “First Delivery” brings back their iconic Clydesdales. The pre-released spot comes shortly after releasing their teaser “Something ‘Big’ Is Coming,” which also features the young Clydesdale.

“First Delivery” is the 47th Super Bowl ad that features the Budweiser Clydesdales, who have appeared in some of the most iconic Super Bowl ads, including the "Puppy Love" commercial from 2014.

Not only will the young Clydesdale be the star of the brand’s ad, the foal (from Warm Springs Ranch, Missouri) and 70 other Clydesdales will be onsite at the annual Football and Foals Watch Party.

Kristina Punwani, Head of Marketing at Budweiser USA, shares, “Budweiser’s Super Bowl legacy is an important part of our brand history, and through the decades, we’ve secured a place in the hearts of millions of fans with our unforgettable characters, quotable one-liners and heartfelt commercials. With the help of our beloved Clydesdales and a determined foal, this year’s commercial captures our commitment to deliver for consumers since 1876 and toasts to those who put in the hard work it takes to achieve their own goals, despite any obstacles along the way.” 

The full ad is available on Budweiser’s social and digital channels and will air nationally on Super Bowl Sunday during the big game. 

Budweiser’s "First Delivery" ad is a nostalgic, engaging and heartwarming success — scoring exceptionally high in both sales and brand impact (Sales Impact: 100 and Brand Impact: 98)!

This ad captivates the audience from the beginning, with 90% of viewers watching the full ad — not an easy achievement for a 100 second spot! 

It’s rare to have such a wonderful story that people stick with and describe so positively, with most people noting it as heartwarming, touching and spontaneously commenting on the grit and determination of the foal.

This clearly demonstrates the love and excitement for Budweiser’s iconic Clydesdales and the power of great storytelling. After all, the Clydesdales have become a well-known asset to the Budweiser brand for many years now — 47 ads to be exact! Having such a distinctive brand asset is certainly worth noting and celebrating, with the horses serving as an instantly recognizable image for the brand. 

That said, it’s no surprise that the ad’s unaided brand recall score is so high (85% vs norm of 68%) and that 50% of people immediately recognize the ad as one that could only be for Budweiser.

In addition to the recognition, the use of the Clydesdales drive a strong love emotion from the first second they appear (48% vs a norm of 28%), resulting in a strong Overall Emotion score of 73 (compared to a norm of 56).

The ad is undeniably enjoyable and emotionally connects with people, with the peak emotional moments occurring when:

• Love: The opening where the Clydesdale are introduced in the stable, when the foal begins its journey and encounters the groundhog, when the foal is seen rolling the keg into town and the closing scene when the Budweiser crown sign illuminates over the foal’s head.  

• Laughter: When the foal encounters the groundhog, who ducks out of the way of the rolling keg, when the foal emerges triumphant with the keg in town and as the foal enters the bar.

Viewers particularly liked the storytelling within the ad — a major element to successful advertising. 

Here’s what some people had to say: 

• “I always love the Budweiser horses and how they have heart and determination. They stand for American spirit and pride.” 

• “The nostalgic music playing with the whole scene gave it a special touch that warms the heart."

• "I liked the whole ad. It catches my attention, pretty scenery, real life, animal friendly, kind of humorous, good music, and made me smile."

• "Love the ad! great message, beautiful horses and cute gopher co-star. Music is perfect for this ad."

This all ladders up to some of our predictions for this year's Super Bowl ads, specifically:

• Distinctiveness: The Budweiser Clydesdales are back! As we mentioned above, these horses are a distinct brand asset (DBA) for Budweiser, and have viewers immediately pinpointing who the ad is for.  

• Love: We predicted that while humor is guaranteed, ads that lean into love may surprise us. This is certainly the case with the young Clydesdale star, who viewers immediately fall in love with and cheer on every second of the way. 

• Humor: With all that love viewers felt, there was still plenty of room for humor during key moments — from the foal’s interaction with the groundhog to the joke setup at the bar and more. 

• Nostalgia: Being such a trademark for the brand, nostalgia was abound with the Clydesdale’s entering the scene for the brand's Super Bowl spot. And how could this not be the case with 47 features?

What a fantastic way to kick off some of the ads for this year’s big game! We can’t wait to share more as the Super Bowl ads continue to be released.

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