The Budweiser Super Bowl commercial has long been a measuring stick for Super Bowl Sunday storytelling. Year after year, viewers wait to see whether the King of Beers will once again deliver something stirring enough to cut through the noise of celebrity cameos and flashy tech-driven spots.
In 2026, the Budweiser Super Bowl commercial did more than compete — it dominated. According to USA TODAY, Budweiser easily outpointed Lay’s in Ad Meter voting that concluded just hours after Super Bowl 60, proving that tradition and heart can still triumph on the biggest advertising stage of the year.
Budweiser Super Bowl Commercial Celebrates Two American Icons
Titled “American Icons,” the Budweiser commercial 2026 marked the brand’s 150th anniversary while tying its legacy to America’s upcoming 250th birthday. Front and center, as expected, was the legendary Clydesdale — the not-so-secret weapon that has defined the brand’s most memorable campaigns for decades.
This time, the commercial told a tender story: the birth of an American Bald Eagle, nurtured into adulthood by the gentle giant before it finally takes flight. Set to Lynyrd Skynyrd’s “Free Bird,” the ad relied on imagery rather than dialogue. As Anheuser-Busch chief commercial officer Kyle Norrington told USA TODAY, “‘Free Bird’ really carries this narrative in an epic way,” underscoring the emotional sweep that set the Budweiser Super Bowl commercial apart.
Budweiser Commercial 2026 Stands Out In A Crowded Field
The victory was decisive. The Budweiser Super Bowl commercial scored a 4.0 out of 5, defeating Lay’s “Last Harvest,” which followed a farmer’s emotional farewell, and edging out Pepsi, Dunkin’, and Michelob Ultra in a tightly packed top five. The win marked a triumphant return after a decade-long drought, following the brand’s 2025 success with “First Delivery.”
What made the Budweiser commercial 2026 resonate so deeply was its simplicity. In a lineup filled with artificial intelligence themes, surveillance humor, and digitally de-aged celebrities that some viewers found unsettling, the commercial leaned into heritage and symbolism. By celebrating both the Budweiser Clydesdale and the American Bald Eagle, the Budweiser Super Bowl commercial reminded audiences why certain icons endure — because they feel unmistakably, and proudly, American.