Photos: Budweiser Clydesdales Celebrate 75 Years As American Icon, Holiday Tradition

Photos: Budweiser Clydesdales Celebrate 75 Years As American Icon, Holiday Tradition

Budweiser Honors 75 Years of Memorable Moments with Commemorative Holiday Book

ST. LOUIS, Dec. 3 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Since 1933, the world-famous Budweiser Clydesdales have captured the hearts of millions through 75 years of appearances in communities across America. The world-famous hitch has also become an American icon, featured in some of the most beloved television commercials of all time.

To view the Multimedia News Release, go to: http://www.prnewswire.com/mnr/anheuserbusch/36284/

To celebrate these moments, Budweiser is releasing a commemorative holiday coffee table book featuring more than 200 pages of historical and full color photography. This hardcover, limited edition book is the perfect gift for the holiday party host, history buff and beer lover and will be available through www.budweiser.com, www.budshop.com, and at select retail outlets.

"For seventy-five years, the Clydesdales have been a symbol of heritage, teamwork and Budweiser's commitment to quality," said Tom Shipley, Budweiser brand director, Anheuser-Busch, Inc. "Through appearances at thousands of events, the Clydesdales have been an integral part of the success of Budweiser, the world's most popular premium American lager. This book takes readers behind the scenes to learn how these majestic animals are cared for, transported coast-to-coast and even trained to act in Super Bowl commercials through never-released photographs and interviews."

Advertisements featuring the Budweiser Clydesdales are among the most popular commercials in the history of television. The first commercials featuring the world-famous eight horse hitch aired in 1956, introducing television viewers to the horses as the symbol of the King of Beers. A perennial holiday favorite, the first Clydesdales holiday commercial aired in 1976, depicting the Merrimack, N.H.-based hitch returning home for the holidays on a snowy evening. The ad was updated in 1986, converted to high definition for 2008 and features the picturesque community of Woodstock, VT. In addition, the Budweiser Clydesdales have been featured in 12 Super Bowl commercials, including last year's "Clydesdale Team," in which the Budweiser Dalmatian trains Hank the Clydesdale to try out for the hitch. This ad ranked number one on USA TODAY's "Ad Meter," generally regarded as the top Super Bowl consumer advertising poll.

In 1933, shortly after the signing of the Cullen-Harrison Act -- effectively ending national Prohibition for beer -- the Budweiser Clydesdales became a part of Anheuser-Busch. August A. Busch Jr. and Adolphus Busch III presented a hitch of the mighty horses to their father, August Busch Sr. to commemorate the first bottle of post-Prohibition beer brewed in St. Louis. The Budweiser Clydesdales were formally introduced to the nation on April 7, 1933 in St. Louis.

Realizing the advertising and promotional potential of a horse-drawn beer wagon, Mr. Busch Sr. had a second team sent by rail to New York City, where it picked up a case of Budweiser beer at New Jersey's Newark Airport. The beer was later presented to Al Smith, former governor of New York and an instrumental force in the repeal of Prohibition. From there, the Clydesdales continued on a tour of New England and the Middle Atlantic States. The hitch even delivered a case of beer to President Franklin D. Roosevelt at The White House.

The Clydesdales' travels take them throughout North America and occasionally overseas. They travel to hundreds of appearances each year and are always a crowd pleaser. The Clydesdale hitches travel some 100,000 miles a year in all, and with each mile they cover, so continues the Budweiser tradition.

Based in St. Louis, Anheuser-Busch is the leading American brewer, holding a 48.5 percent share of U.S. beer sales. The company brews the world's largest-selling beers, Budweiser and Bud Light. Anheuser-Busch also owns a 50 percent share in Grupo Modelo, Mexico's leading brewer, and a 27 percent share in China brewer Tsingtao, whose namesake beer brand is the country's best-selling premium beer. Anheuser-Busch ranked No. 1 among beverage companies in FORTUNE Magazine's Most Admired U.S. and Global Companies lists in 2008. Anheuser-Busch is one of the largest theme park operators in the United States, is a major manufacturer of aluminum cans and one of the world's largest recyclers of aluminum cans. The company is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Anheuser-Busch InBev, the leading global brewer, and continues to operate under the Anheuser-Busch name and logo. For more information, visit www.anheuser-busch.com.

Video: http://www.prnewswire.com/mnr/anheuserbusch/36284
Source: Anheuser-Busch/Budweiser

CONTACT: Ellen Bogard of Anheuser-Busch, +1-314-577-9615,
ellen.bogard@anheuser-busch.com

Web site: http://www.anheuser-busch.com/
http://www.budweiser.com/

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