Budweiser fans applaud brand’s new ‘American’ Super Bowl commercial years after controversy

Years after being enveloped in controversy, Budweiser fans have applauded its new ad, released ahead of the 2026 Super Bowl.

As the beer brand celebrates 150 years of brewing in the U.S., it marked the milestone by releasing a new commercial, which will be shown on the biggest day of the NFL season. Called “American Icons,” the ad features two popular animals associated with both the U.S. and the Budweiser brand: a Clydesdale and a bald eagle, who become friends.

The clip begins as the young horse comes across a bald eagle chick that fell out of its nest. The two develop a friendship, supporting each other through rain or shine, and ultimately ending with the grown bald eagle spreading its wings on the horse’s back to look like a pegasus.

“Made of America,” the commercial ended with the brand’s slogan. “For 150 Years, This Bud's For You.”

Many people commended Budweiser on the ad, gushing over how beautiful and patriotic they found it.

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“Well done Budweiser. Welcome back to being American,” one person wrote on X, while another commenter agreed, writing, “If this doesn't give you chills you can't call yourself an American!!”

Other X users gushed over how well-done the Super Bowl ad was, calling it the best one yet.

“The best Budweiser commercial since the 2001 one!” one person wrote while another agreed, “Dear NFL, could we just cancel the Super Bowl halftime show and watch this repeatedly on the Jumbotron instead? I’ve never seen a better Budweiser commercial than this one.”

“I've watched this 30 times and cry every time,” wrote a third person on X. “You guys hit it out of the park with this one. Greatest of all time.”

Todd Allen, the SVP of Marketing for Budweiser at Anheuser-Busch, said of the ad in a press release, “As we celebrate Budweiser's 150th anniversary and America's 250th birthday, we knew we had to rise to the occasion in a way only Budweiser can.

“‘American Icons’ brings our heritage to life through powerful storytelling with the Budweiser Clydesdales and an American Bald Eagle. This year's spot will leave fans awestruck and proud to enjoy a Budweiser as they celebrate our shared milestone moments.”

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Budweiser’s newest advertisement comes years after the brand ignited controversy when it partnered with transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney for a sponsored Instagram post. The company sent her a commemorative can of Bud Light in 2023, which sparked conservative backlash.

Supporters of transgender rights who felt the company abandoned Mulvaney were also angered.

Brendan Whitworth, the CEO of Bud Light’s parent company Anheuser-Busch InBev, later appeared on CBS Mornings to address the backlash. However, after claiming “Bud Light should be all about bringing people together,” he declined to answer directly when asked whether the campaign featuring Mulvaney was a mistake.

Mulvaney later spoke out in a TikTok, accusing the brand of failing to support her.

“For a company to hire a trans person and then not publicly stand by them is worse in my opinion than not hiring a trans person at all because it gives customers permission to be as transphobic and hateful as they want,” Mulvaney said at the time. “And the hate doesn’t end with me, it has serious and grave consequences for the rest of our community.”

An Anheuser-Busch spokesperson told CNN in response to Mulvaney’s statement that “we remain committed to the programs and partnerships we have forged over decades with organizations across a number of communities, including those in the LGBTQ+ community. The privacy and safety of our employees and our partners is always our top priority. As we move forward, we will focus on what we do best — brewing great beer for everyone and earning our place in moments that matter to our consumers.”