Clydesdales May Suit up for Super Bowl After All

A-B Claims Fresh Edit of Rejected DDB Spot Led to Iconic Mascot’s Return to Ad Lineup

By Jeremy Mullman
Reports of the Clydesdale’s demise may have been premature.
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Just a day after previewing its Super Bowl advertising lineup — sans the storied Scottish horses for only the third time in 15 years — for the national media, Anheuser-Busch is paving the way for its icons to gallop back into the big game, consumers willing.

VP-Marketing Keith Levy said A-B received a new edit of a previously rejected Clydesdale spot (from Budweiser agency DDB) shortly after it finished briefing media members on its plans yesterday. The news stories that followed the briefings all noted the absence of the Clydesdales, and many drew negative feedback.

Might the brewer have planned it this way all along?

“I wish I was that smart,” said Mr. Levy.

via adage.com