Entertainment

7 Things Budweiser Can Replace Clydesdales With

by Alyse Whitney

There are some holiday commercial traditions that should last forever, like the ringing Hershey's kisses and the heartwarming Folger's "home for Christmas" ads, but there are some that need a serious update. Budweiser is ditching their signature Clydesdales this year in order to try to appeal to more millennials, but they're not directly replacing the horses with another animal. Instead, they're having young people talk directly to the camera, answering the age-old question: "If you could grab a Bud with any of your friends these holidays, who would it be?" Honestly, that doesn't allow for anything too exciting... unless Budweiser allows these people to say celebrities, and then they get to party with their favorite star.

The beer company will also be sponsoring food festivals and parties in college towns, which allows for star-studded events if they go all-out. This could turn from commercials into a small web series, and there's nothing that millennials love more than celebrity cameos in random internet videos. But there are some other things they could include if they don't want to pony up (pun absolutely intended) for the A-list stars. Here's how I think that the Clydesdales could be replaced perfectly this holiday season.

Two Words: Taylor Swift

Taylor Swift probably doesn't drink Budweiser, but can you imagine if they rounded her up for some holiday carols about beer? They would totally top her adorable Diet Coke ads. This could also be a revenge piece about how her ex used to hate Bud, and now it's all she drinks. Surprise concerts in small towns with #taylurking, watching her bake cookies with Lorde... it's all perfect.

Something Tied to Hit TV Shows

Olivia Pope would never drink beer, let alone Budweiser, but there are some guys on hit shows that would. Find some hotties that frequent bars (probably someone from The Vampire Diaries or most CW shows, or even Chris Pratt in Andy Dwyer mode from Parks and Recreation) and create some sort of tie-in with holiday ads and the shows. TV is on hiatus for a lot of the winter, so we're all having withdrawals.

All of the Cats They Can Find

Preferably internet-famous, but not overrated. Sorry, Grumpy Cat, but your Christmas movie kind of made you a sell-out. Lil' Bub may still be OK since she doesn't have her own pillows yet. But basically any type of kittens being adorable in a viral-video-like commercial about the holidays is purrfect.

Cute Puppies or Other Adorable Animals Work, Too

The cuter the animal, the more viral the commercial. If happy-crying is involved (animals rescuing one another, an overly-excited dog welcoming home his owner), even better, but it can't be a fake story. It has to be something genuine or everyone will hate it. It will get tons of views either way, though, but it also has to make sense for a beer company.

Anything That Doesn't Over-Use Internet Lingo

Budweiser, don't try to be a cool mom and use too many hashtags or try to make the right #selfie happen. Those things are over. Don't try to call someone a #bae or talk about #FOMO unless you get Jimmy Fallon and Justin Timberlake to make a Budweiser sketch.

Food. All of the Food.

Anything that's a weird hybrid of something that sounds too good to pass up is awesome. I guess if it pairs with Budweiser, that's ideal, but anything inventive and filled with cheese could probably work.

Nostalgia, in Any Way, Shape, or Form

Can they reunite *NSYNC or get Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen? How about the whole cast of Gilmore Girls? Basically, anything nostalgic is a great tie-in, as long as everyone is of age.

Images: Getty Images (1); Giphy (7)