The Budweiser Clydesdales Are A Beloved Staple Of The Super Bowl
This year at the Super Bowl, the nation was treated to some fantastic advertisements.
However, one ad stood out above the rest: the Budweiser Clydesdales’ “First Delivery” commercial was voted the best of 2025 according to USA Today’s Ad Meter.
The Budweiser Clydesdales have been a pivotal part of the Super Bowl for 47 years.
Kyle Norrington, Anheuser-Busch’s Chief Marketing Officer, spoke about the horses’ long-standing relationship with the Budweiser brand.
Norrington stated, “We hear from our fans that the Super Bowl is just not the same without the iconic Clydesdales.” He added that the ad’s presence in the Super Bowl “reinforces that we’ve been delivering since 1876 and will continue for decades to come.”
Watch this year’s ad below.
List: Every Budweiser Clydesdale Super Bowl Commercial Since 2000
But How Did This Tradition Begin?
The history of the horses is as intriguing as the horses themselves.
Between 1920 and 1933, America experienced Prohibition, which was the ban on the manufacture, transportation, and sale of alcohol. During this time, the Budweiser brand suffered significantly, as it was impossible to maintain a beer brand in a country where drinking beer was illegal.
One notable figure during this era was Alfred E. Smith, who served as the Governor of New York from 1919 to 1920 and again from 1923 to 1928.
Alfred Smith was the Democratic nominee for the presidential election in 1928 but lost to Herbert Hoover of the Republican Party. He was a well-known opponent of Prohibition and worked hard throughout his career to have the 18th Amendment repealed.
In 1933, when the amendment was finally repealed and alcohol sales became legal in the United States again, August A. Busch Jr. and Adolphus Busch III surprised their father, August A. Busch Sr., by gifting him six Clydesdale horses. This gift was a celebration of the repeal of Prohibition, allowing their brand, Budweiser, to thrive once more after suffering due to the ban.
Their marketing first used the horses when they hitched them to a wagon carrying Budweiser.
They galloped through New York City, stopping at Governor Alfred Smith’s office to deliver a single case of beer as a gesture of appreciation.
The marketing tour with the Clydesdales continued as they traveled through New England and the Atlantic states, delighting onlookers.
The tour culminated in Washington, D.C., in April 1933, where they delivered a case of Budweiser to President Franklin D. Roosevelt.
Since then, the Budweiser Clydesdales have been hitched to Budweiser’s delivery wagon, bringing joy to thousands. Watch some of their highlights below.
