The Story Behind Budweiser’s ‘Clydesdale Respect’: A One-Time 9/11 Tribute at Super Bowl XXXVI
During Super Bowl XXXVI on February 3, 2002—less than five months after September 11—Anheuser-Busch broadcast a 60-second commercial titled “Clydesdale Respect.” Departing entirely from traditional commercial advertising, the spot featured no dialogue, voice-over, or jingles, keeping the brand’s logo off-screen until the final seconds before concluding with the words: “We’ll never forget.”
The original commercial was aired nationally only once.
The Sequence and Symbolic Journey
Set against a snowy rural landscape, the commercial followed the Budweiser Clydesdales traveling eastward:
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The Route: The team journeyed through open country, quiet towns, and across the Brooklyn Bridge before halting in Battery Park, framed by the Lower Manhattan skyline and the Statue of Liberty.
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The Gesture: Facing the open void in the skyline where the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center once stood, the lead horses bent a knee and bowed in silence toward Ground Zero.
Production Logistics in Post-9/11 New York
Filming in Lower Manhattan in late 2001 presented unprecedented regulatory and logistical challenges amid strict national security protocols:
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Locked-Down Airspace: Following the attacks, commercial and private flight paths over New York City were severely restricted. Securing permission to film aerial helicopter shots over the Brooklyn Bridge and Battery Park required direct clearance from the New York City Mayor’s Office, Congress, and federal aviation authorities.
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Mayoral Approval: Then-Mayor Rudy Giuliani personally authorized the aerial shoot to allow the production crew to capture the horses’ tribute.
Ringo: Training a Clydesdale to Bow
The emotional core of the commercial relied on a specific Clydesdale named Ringo, trained directly for the moment:
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Rigorous Development: Budweiser Clydesdales undergo years of socialization and training starting at six months old at Grant’s Farm in St. Louis, Missouri.
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The Maneuver: Ranch manager Amy Trout revealed that Ringo underwent specialized training specifically to learn how to lower his head and bow on cue—a physical gesture entirely outside a standard draft horse’s routine.
A Single Airing and the 2021 Update
Anheuser-Busch intentionally retired the original broadcast immediately after the game to ensure the piece stood as a genuine civic tribute rather than a recurring promotional tool:
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Overwhelming Reception: The spot became one of the most celebrated and remembered Super Bowl commercials in television history.
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20th Anniversary Edition: While the original 2002 cut was never rebroadcast on television, the company produced an updated version in 2021 to mark the 20th anniversary of the attacks, featuring a new generation of Clydesdales bowing once again toward Lower Manhattan.
