![Budweiser culture]()
This one always brings a tear to my eye.
In the wake of the tragic 9/11 terrorist attacks of 2001, America was obviously in a state of mourning and confusion, and completely devastated by what happened to those in the Twin Towers at the World Trade Center in New York City, the Pentagon near Washington, DC, and how a United Airlines Flight crashed in rural Pennsylvania near Shanksville.
Of course, many musicians showed their support and brought the country together through music,
like Alan Jackson and
many others, but Budweiser had a different idea.
The beer company created a 60-second commercial titled "Respect," which honored those we lost on 9/11 and is full of the spirit of America and the resilience so many showed following the tragedy, where we lost thousands of innocent American lives.
Featuring the iconic Clydesdale horses, you seem them trek across the country, ending in New York where they bow to the skyline, with the Twin Towers noticeably absent.
And while it resonated deeply across the country, Budweiser decided to only air it one time, during the Super Bowl in 2002, because they wanted to pay tribute to the victims of 9/11 and not commercialize it or make money from the ad.
And because it was such a sensitive time for the nation, then-New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani even gave special
permission for helicopter footage of the Clydesdales in Battery Park, which was unprecedented access and made the commercial what it is.
I wholeheartedly agree that only airing the commercial once, during the biggest nigh of the year in America, was the right call, and it remains one of the greatest ads ever made to this day. The feelings of sadness, despair, hope, and patriotism resonate as deeply now as they did over 20 years ago, and it's simply perfect and poignant.
Do yourself a favor and check it out today:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1MZUvib98Rs
In 2011, Anheuser-Busch remastered the ad to support a fundraising initiative for the National September 11 Memorial, and in 2021, they
updated it again.
The most recent version shows One World Trade Center and the current NYC skyline, in addition to two beams of light marking the locations of the Twin Towers, which are visible from dusk until dawn each September 11th.
It's an important reminder every year of the resilience of this country, and what this day means to all of us. Check it out:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4EFOqQ_XXhw