The touching story behind the powerful 9/11 commercial that only aired once
The iconic beer maker, Budweiser, used its fan favorite’s Clydesdale horses to pay tribute to the victims of the September 11 attacks with an emotional advertisement.
This Budweiser commercial only aired once, during Super Bowl XXXVI on February 3, 2002, but the positive response was so overwhelming that many people have never forgotten it.
The one-minute commercial will always be remembered for the strong statements it makes about unity, patriotism and the American spirit in honor to the victims of the terrorist attacks that hurt so deeply the city of New York.
As we just pass the 17th anniversary of the September 11th terror attacks, FOX 6 is bringing back this powerful tribute that only the iconic Clydesdale horses can give
According to Jeff Knapper, the company’s General Manager of Clydesdales Operations, the famous horses spent more than a month and a half training to deliver a perfect bow to the Manhattan landscape.
Although the horses performed the bow flawlessly, the most difficult part of the filming process was getting the approval from members of the Congress and the New York Mayor Rudy Guiliani, for the aerial shooting.
“We had a helicopter going over the Brooklyn Bridge,” said Bob Lachky, a former Budweiser advertising executive.
“Mayor Giuliani let us into the city -- the only film company of any sort right after 9-11. To actually come into airspace with our helicopter to film the Clydesdales ... the hitch coming into Battery Park and it was amazing... just amazing," Lachky added.
As reported by Business Insider, Jorn Socquet, vice president of marketing at Anheuser-Busch said: "With this tribute, we wanted to respectfully honor those affected by the events of September 11."
"While the original ad aired just once, the Budweiser Clydesdales delivered our sentiments in a moving way that continues to resonate," said Socquet.
It was amazing how a St. Louis-based company took a risk to help one of our favorite cities and our nation heal the pain of the worst act of terrorism on U.S. soil, especially considering how New York was a city still hurting.
Tributes are important for the people; it reminds them that their bravery and their pain won’t be forgotten. Another amazing tribute to the victims of 9/11 is a film about the stories of those brave women told in a documentary titled "Beyond Bravery: The Women of 9/11."
The documentary was directed by Soledad O'Brien, she interviewed several rescue and recovery workers who still have to face health effects ten years after the tragedy and others who still mourned for the deaths of their colleagues.