Beech Tree News Network

This week marks the return of the mashup column: a mix and match of random facts that, if you’re like me, you had no idea about.  Let’s get into it.

We start with the Budweiser Clydesdales.  The Clydesdales appeared during the 1991, ’92 and ’95 Super Bowls but it was the 1996 ad that pictured two teams of horses playing football in a snow-covered mountain meadow that set a new standard.  Considering this, when was the first Budweiser Clydesdale Super Bowl commercial? Budweiser Clydesdale horses have appeared in the most Super Bowl ads for the company since 1986. 

There was no Budweiser Clydesdale ad in the 2021 Superbowl.  The brand said in a news release that, instead of airing a new commercial, they reallocated the media investment to raise awareness about the COVID-19 vaccine throughout the year.  That was the first time in 37 years that there was no ad in America’s biggest game.  While we’re on the subject, why are Clydesdales called Clydesdales? The Clydesdale takes its name from Clydesdale, the old name for Lanarkshire, noted for the river Clyde.  In the mid-18th Century, Flemish stallions were imported to Scotland and bred to local mares, resulting in foals that were larger than the existing local stock.  What was the first Budweiser Clydesdale commercial? - AdvertisingRow.com | Home of Advertising Professionals, Advertising news, Infographics, Job offers

The famous tagline “You could learn a lot from a dummy” was the foundation of a popular NHTSA safety campaign from the 1980’s and ‘90’s urging people to wear their seatbelts.  Loveable crash test dummies Vince and Larry encouraged seatbelt use through tv, print and radio ads. 

In 2010, Vince and Larry were inducted into the Smithsonian Institute’s Museum of American History as part of an exhibit on the evolution of automobile safety-along with authentic crash test dummies.  Safety In Numbers Newsletter: Milestones for NHTSA's Crash Test Dummies, January 2015

I’ll end on a couple of music notes, courtesy of SAM 100.7.  1987’s “Kokomo” was the final #1 hit for the Beach Boys.  Their first? “I Get Around”.  One of the most enduring songs of the ‘60’s, “I Get Around” is the soundtrack to the perfect summer we all dream about.  This is one of the songs that established the Beach Boys as a group with a distinct musical formula they would perfect, surpass and recreate.  Those songs bookended other #1’s by the Boys: “Help Me Rhonda” and “Good Vibrations” My final musical note is this: as big of a career as he had, Bob Segar only had one #1 hit: from 1987’s Beverly Hills Cop II soundtrack.