Clydesdales will make it into a Super Bowl commercial this year after all – albeit in historic Boston instead of St. Louis.

While Budweiser has decided to sit on the benches for the big game for the first time since 1983 – opting instead to spend the money on COVID-19 vaccine awareness efforts – Boston Beer’s Samuel Adams found a clever way to parody one of Bud’s most classic commercials.

The ad begins with a close up of those famous horses who are seen tethered to a hansom cab until “Your Cousin From Boston” inadvertently releases them. Chaos ensues as the Clydesdales crash through vendor stalls and chase bystanders. “Whoops…I did not see that coming,” Your Cousin says in an accent that sounds straight out of Cheers. “Could we not tell my mom about this?”

“We couldn’t think of a bolder way to launch our big best for 2021 than an ad for the big game,” Boston Beer Company (NYSE: SAM) chief marketing officer Lesya Lysyi said in a statement.  Boston Beer is maker of Truly Hard Seltzer.

The ad for Sam’s cheekily named Wicked Hazy IPA will air in Boston and New York markets. “This big game misdirect is exactly what you might expect from the mischievous Your Cousin from Boston,” said Goodby Silverstein & Partners, which produced the ad for Boston Beer.

Samuel Adams describes its new IPA as “a little bit extra, a lot blast of tropical fruit, with a smooth, silky finish.” The citrusy beer features notes of mango, pineapple, and peach and “haze for days.” The IPA contains 6.8 percent ABV and is ranked at 35 IBUs.

Budweiser isn’t the only high profile advertiser opting out of the big game this year. Coke, Audi, and Avocados from Mexico all join the beer brand in forgoing the multi-million dollar ad buy. Pepsi pledged not to advertise its own product, but to keep its spending focused on promoting the halftime show it is sponsoring featuring The Weeknd.

The notable brands aren’t the only thing missing this year; capacity at the game will be extremely limited. About 22,000 fans will be in attendance at Raymond James Stadium to watch the hometown Tampa Bay Buccaneers host the reigning champion Kansas City Chiefs for Super Bowl LV. The stadium typically has a capacity of 65,890, but attendance will be restricted due to COVID-19 safety guidelines.

Budweiser’s parent, Anheuser-Busch (NYSE: BUD) is advertising Bud Light Seltzer Lemonade during the Super Bowl, however.

Charles Taylor, a marketing professor at Villanova University, described the consumer mood brands are seeing heading into this year’s game. “I think the advertisers are currently picking up on this being a riskier year for the Super Bowl,” Taylor said.

“With COVID and economic uncertainty, people aren’t necessarily in the best mood, to begin with. There’s a risk associated with messages that are potentially too light. At the same time, there’s a risk associated with doing anything too somber.”

The witty parody from Samuel Adams strikes the right tone for this Super Bowl season unlike any other. It’s funny without being too dark; indeed, it has just the right amount of wickedness featuring everyone’s favorite Cousin from Boston.

Erin Grafton
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