ST. LOUIS — On the 22nd anniversary of the September 11 attacks, we remember a touching tribute by a St. Louis-based company that aired only once during the 2002 Super Bowl. This poignant ad featured the iconic Budweiser Clydesdales traveling to New York City, where they bowed their heads in front of the fractured skyline.
This emotional tribute was the result of a remarkable collaborative effort involving Congress, the New York City Mayor’s Office, and others. Filming took place during a fragile moment in American history, with the nation at war and on edge. The ad’s production team had unprecedented access, with then Mayor Giuliani granting permission for a helicopter to film the Clydesdales in Battery Park.
A decade later, the ad was remastered and used in a fundraising campaign for the National September 11 Memorial. On the 20th anniversary of the attacks, Anheuser-Busch updated the ad once more. The commercial now features the completed One World Trade Building and a modern New York skyline. Lights illuminate the locations of the destroyed buildings, shining from dusk to dawn on September 11. The updated end card reads, “20 years later, we’ll never forget.”
Watch the 2021 remastered ad here.