WASHINGTON — While Budweiser is sitting out the Super Bowl this year, Clydesdale horses will still be making an appearance...in a Samuel Adams ad.
The rival beer brewer has shared an early look at its ad that will specifically run in Boston and New York, according to Ad Age.
At first glance, the 30-second spot could be mistaken for a Budweiser commercial starring the brand's iconic horses. But then, "Your Cousin From Boston," a character who has popped up in recent Sam Adams ad campaigns, lets the horses free and chaos erupts.
The Sam Adams spoof comes as Anheuser-Busch decided not to advertise its iconic Budweiser brand during the Super Bowl for the first time since 1983. Instead, the company is donating the money it would have spent on the ad to coronavirus vaccination awareness efforts.
Goodby Silverstein & Partners produced the Sam Adams ad, according to Ad Age, and the company co-chair told the outlet that "This big game misdirect is exactly what you might expect from the mischievous Your Cousin from Boston."
Other veteran Super Bowl advertisers like Coke, Audi and Avocados from Mexico are sitting out from the game this year altogether. PepsiCo. said it won't be advertising Pepsi in order to focus on its sponsorship on the halftime show with a performance by The Weeknd.
These big-brand absences are just one more way Super Bowl LV will look very different from previous years, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Attendance at the game will be limited to 22,000 people, about a third of the more than 65,890 capacity of Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida. And Super Bowl parties will be more likely to be smaller affairs with pods or families.
The Associated Press has contributed to this report.