With funny frogs, adorable puppies and its iconic Clydesdale horses, Budweiser has become synonymous with Super Bowl advertising over the past four decades, producing some of the most memorable commercials in the history of television's marquee live event.
This year, however, the brand is taking a pass.
Budweiser announced Monday morning that it is foregoing its annual Super Bowl commercial slot for the first time in 37 years, joining fellow juggernauts Coke, Hyundai and Pepsi in skipping this year's Super Bowl broadcast amid the financial uncertainty of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The beer brand said in a news release that instead of paying to air a Super Bowl ad, it will instead be "reallocating the media investment" to raise awareness about the COVID-19 vaccine throughout the year, in partnership with the Ad Council.