Good friendships stand the test of time — especially interspecies friendships.
That's certainly true for the horse-and-dog duo regularly featured in Budweiser's Super Bowl commercials. TODAY exclusively obtained and aired this year's commercial, titled "A Clydesdale's Journey" Wednesday morning, in which a Clydesdale horse is injured but rallies back with the help of his faithful canine friend.
The unnamed dog and horse experience sadness while separated from each other during the horse's recovery. But by the end of the ad, they are running full-steam ahead together. Budweiser posted the video on YouTube to promote its products "in the land of the brave" where "down never means out," the tagline of the tear-jerking commercial.
The ad aired for the first time during the 3rd Hour of TODAY (see video above). Al Roker said, "You're watching it and you're holding your breath." Dylan Dreyer added, "I know, I kind of got chills for a moment," and Sheinelle Jones said she was rooting for the horse: "Come on buddy, get up, get up."
This isn't the first time Budweiser has gotten people in their feelings with a commercial featuring a Clydesdale and a dog. The duo's 2014 Super Bowl ad captured America's heart when the dog ran away from its new owner just to find the horse, who had been missing his friend and staged a coup with fellow horse mates to get the dog back. The ad ends with the pair playing together as the two owners watch them.
In Budweiser's 2015 Super Bowl commercial, the dog returns to the farm after being lost for some time and is confronted by a wolf. A group of horses, led by the horse, break out of the barn to save the dog and they run up to the farm house together.
No matter what life brings, Budweiser's Super Bowl ads must continue to tell the story of these two #BestBuds.
