How Budweiser Honored 9/11 With an Ad That Never Ran Again

Back in the aftermath of September 11th, Budweiser created one of the most moving commercials ever produced—but most people don’t realize it only aired once.

Anheuser-Busch paid for the spot to run during the 2002 Super Bowl, and that was it.

The company made it clear they didn’t want to profit from the tragedy in any way. Their only goal was to acknowledge the heartbreak, honor the lives lost, and offer a quiet moment of respect.

The process of making the commercial was unlike anything else. At the time, AB Global Creative needed approval from both Congress and New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani. Airspace was still locked down after the attacks, but they were granted permission to fly a helicopter over the Brooklyn Bridge to capture the iconic shot.

READ MORE: A Powerful Visit to the 9/11 Memorial and Museum

Former executive vice president Bob Lachky later recalled, “We had a helicopter going over the Brooklyn Bridge. Mayor Giuliani let us into the city. The only film company of any sort right after 9/11 to actually come into air space with our helicopter to film the Clydesdale hitch coming into Battery Park—and it was amazing… just amazing.”

The powerful ad showed Budweiser’s famous Clydesdales bowing in front of the Manhattan skyline, a silent tribute to the nearly 3,000 lives lost that day.

Remade for 20th Anniversary

For the 20th anniversary, the commercial was remade, this time with One World Trade Center standing tall in the background.

READ MORE: The Field That Never Forgets in NY: Giant “USA” Honors 9/11 Victims

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Remembering the Lives Lost

The September 11th attacks took the lives of 2,977 people in the World Trade Center in New York; the Pentagon in Washington, D.C.; and on United Airlines flight 93, which crashed in Shanksville, Pennsylvania.

Every year since, memorial services are held across the country to make sure those who died on September 11th, 2001, are never forgotten.