
Claim: Budweiser is ditching their famous Clydesdale ads in an effort to appeal to millennials.
FALSE
Example: [Collected via e-mail, November 2014]
Is Budweiser going to stop using the famous Clydesdales in their
ads this holiday season?
There is rumor that Budweiser is going to stop utilizing
Clydesdales in their marketing. It said they have chosen to go with
popular music stars. I am hoping is not true.
Origins: On
Although that piece mentioned Budweiser's famous Clydesdale horses in its subheading ("Faded Beer Brand Unhitches Clydesdales in Favor of Fresher Pitches to Young People"), the content focused on the brand's struggle to remain relevant with younger beer drinkers amidst a market influx of craft beers. The article focused primarily on the hard stats of Budweiser's waning popularity among twentysomethings, but it did include a few references to the use of Clydesdales in advertisements for the beer brand:
Persuading them to drink Bud won't be easy. Since 1987, the company has showcased the brand during the holidays with a commercial of its famous Clydesdales, powerful,
The company has decided that persuading 21- to 27-year-olds to grab a Bud is the best chance to stop the
Reaction to the article was swift and presumptive, with many Budweiser Clydesdale fans on social media sites objecting to the ads' discontinuation. On
Don't believe everything that trends. The Budweiser #Clydesdales aren't going anywhere. pic.twitter.com/dzHPAGmhhX
— Budweiser (@Budweiser) November 25, 2014
On
The story this morning may have left a wrong
After issuing that statement, Budweiser also individually reassured Twitter users that the brand's "Clydesdales aren't going anywhere." It wasn't clear whether the company had initially planned to partially retire the mascots and only relented in the face of negative public reaction, or whether their earlier comments about their familiar equine symbols had merely been misinterpreted.
Last updated: 25 November 2014