It was 5:46 AM our time, on Tuesday, September 11, 2001. Nineteen al Qaeda terrorists hijacked four planes and carried out suicide attacks against the twin towers of the World Trade Center in New York City and the Pentagon in Virginia. One of the planes, whose actual target has never been confirmed, crashed in a field in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, after an onboard revolt by passengers. It was the deadliest terrorist attack in history, killing 2,996 people and injuring more than 6,000 others. 9/11 would have an enormous impact on our country, our economy and culture.
On February 3, 2002, the St. Louis Rams took the field against the New England Patriots in the first Super Bowl to be designated a national Special Security Event by the new Department of Homeland Security. In millions of homes across the country, viewers of the game would get to see, perhaps, the first and only perfect television commercial.
Anheuser-Busch Brews Magic
We have little doubt that Anheuser-Busch had their 2002 Super Bowl ad concept, script, and pre-production in place well before 9/11. They may have even started production. September 11th changed everything in an instant. They had to regroup, rethink, reevaluate. Would a commercial during the Super Bowl make sense? Would there even be a Super Bowl?
Lightning in a Bottle
The minds at Anheuser-Busch captured lightning in a bottle. For whatever reason, they were able to connect to the mood of the country and they set the perfect tone for the commercial.
Bob Lachky, the former President of Anheuser-Busch Global Creative, described the filming. “We had a helicopter going over the Brooklyn Bridge. We were let into the city, the only film company of any sort, right after 9/11. To actually come into air space with our helicopter to film the Clydesdales, the hitch coming into Battery Park…and it was amazing…just amazing.”
It was amazing. The famous Budweiser Clydesdales journey takes them from snow covered fields and farmland to the iconic Brooklyn Bridge. A stirring music bed plays softly not interfering with the sound effects. The locations and lighting are exquisite. The logo doesn’t appear until the very end. There’s no voice track, nothing needs to be said. The Clydesdales arrive on a snowy plain with the Manhattan skyline in the distance, the World Trade Center buildings obviously missing. The horses stop, and kneel, bowing to a city and a people, acknowledging the loss. It is a gesture both sentimental and strong, and so many years later, it can still bring a tear to the eye of any person with a heart.
The ad only aired once.