G&M Distributors

G&M is a wholesale beverage distributor serving western Illinois since 1946.

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Budweiser Clydesdale Super Bowl Ad Q&A with Jeff Knapper

Tuesday, 14 February 2012

The Budweiser Clydesdales were featured in a Super Bowl ad this year, recreating a moment in 1933 following the repeal of Prohibition as a town celebrates its first beer delivery. The spot marked the 22nd time the iconic horses have appeared in a Super Bowl advertisement. Jeff Knapper, general manager of Budweiser Clydesdale operations for Anheuser-Busch, said the Clydesdales first appeared in a Super Bowl advertisement in 1986. He shared a few facts about the equine stars.

WBB: Tell us about the horses in this year's commercial.

Knapper: The rearing horses were 9-year-old Bill and 4-year-old Percy, who earned their starring roles during training. The other six horses in the final shot were 10-year-old Dick, 9-year-old Carter, 8-year-old Fez, 11-year-old Jake, 9-year-old Magee and 12-year-old Mike.

WBB: Where was the commercial first filmed? Any why was it about Prohibition?

Knapper: We filmed late last year at the Universal Studios complex in LA for a few days and also filmed at an off-site location outside of LA, New Hall Ranch in Pico Canyon, Calif. In 1933, after beer became legal again, the Clydesdales delivered the first case of Budweiser to the White House and to officials who were part of seeing the law changed. The original horses were a gift from August Busch Jr. to his father, and since then they've been a symbol of Budweiser's heritage. The symbol has become synonymous with Budweiser — the quality that goes into the beer, as well as the time, energy and passion we put into taking care of the horses.

WBB: Is the beer wagon in the ad original or a reproduction?

Knapper: You bet it's an original. In fact we used two wagons — one for the beer delivery shots and another for the running shots. They were built in the early 1900s, weigh 7,000 lbs and can carry approximately 375 cases of Budweiser. The first case of legal beer was delivered to President Franklin Roosevelt in 1933 on a wagon exactly like this.

WBB: Are those actors driving the hitch in the commercial?

Knapper: No, they're part of the Clydesdale team. It takes a lot of skill and training to drive the hitch. The lead driver featured in the commercial was Doug Bousselot, a 24-year Budweiser employee, and Roman Raber, a 12-year veteran.

WBB: Any other fun facts about the commercial?

Knapper: We had 18 horses, six semis, 10 handlers and two trainers on site for the shoot. We spent two months planning, training, and prepping for the shoot. It took weeks after the filming to get all the horses, equipment and handlers back to their home locations. The week of the filming the crew started at 3 a.m. each morning to meet the directors call time. But it was a lot of fun and we're really proud of this year's commercial and being able to showcase these majestic horses.