An Anheuser-Busch spokesperson said that the "famous Clydesdale horses" will indeed be "making an appearance in Budweiser’s Super Bowl ads," according to Suzanne Vranica of the WALL STREET JOURNAL. The spokesperson said, "The Clydesdales play a strong role for the brand, representing Budweiser quality and care for more than 80 years." Vranica noted the horses "have become a perennial fan favorite on Super Bowl Sunday." The horses "made their big game debut" in '86, and since then many of the ads featuring them "have been viewed as some of the best Super Bowl commercials ever created" (WSJ.com, 11/24). AD AGE's E.J. Schultz noted speculation on the Clydesdales' future "was sparked by a story in the Wall Street Journal that stated Budweiser 'will not trot out the traditional Budweiser Clydesdales for this year's holiday advertising.'" The Clydesdales "have all-age appeal." They "have been deployed for expensive Super Bowl ads" in recent years, while Budweiser "has mostly used other tactics for its year-round advertising" (ADAGE.com, 11/24).
SANS AUTO: Miami-based Turkel Brands CEO & Exec Creative Dir Bruce Turkel said of why Volkswagen will not advertise during the Super Bowl XLIX telecast, "They have figured out also that's not where the advertising buzz is going to be. ... They had the most-watched Super Bowl commercial with Darth Vader. They did pretty good the year after with the wings campaign and now, they're abandoning it. Why? They're going social. They're going online." Fox Business' Melissa Francis responded, "You don't have to pay for advertising anymore." The Wall Street Journal's Veronica Dagher added, "It's a big investment. If they feel like they're not hitting their demo, their target customer with this, then it's probably not worth it for them" ("Money With Melissa Francis," Fox Business, 11/24).
