It’s coming up on the Super Bowl. And everyone is anticipating…. the commercials, which, frankly, are often the best part of the game.
I don’t watch a lot of TV. I’m not one of those, “There’s nothing on TV” folks, or, “TV is the death of American Society” zealots. I mostly just don’t have time, and, there’s other stuff that I like to do more (cook, practice and perform magic, play golf, hang out with my family, etc., etc.). Nonetheless, I do get a chance to watch the tube from time to time, and I always appreciate it when someone puts a horse, or a horse reference, into advertising their product or service.
Anyway, you may have seen all of these, but if not, I hope you get a kick out of some of my favorite horse commercials, listed, (as seems to be important these days), in descending order.
6. An insurance company commercial – lets you know that there are a lot of definitions of what constitutes the “best” horse. An important lesson for those of you considering a prepurchase exam.
5. Budweiser® beer has done many hilarious horse commercials over the years. They use Clydesdale draft horses as their hallmark, and some of their stuff from the Super Bowls is priceless. But this one is my favorite – maybe it comes from having spent a lot of time with teenage boys.
4. Old Spice® – I do not understand why – no at all – but my impression is that women will put up with behaviors from their horses that they would never tolerate in their men. There’s something about a man and a horse, apparently.
3. SCHWEPPES® – I have a great deal of respect for the sport of dressage, the horses that do it, and the people who ride it. It’s really hard. And this commercial is really funny.
2. COWBOYS HERDING CATS – As far as I’m concerned, it’s one of the greatest commercials every made. And, having been on committees, and having edited some major publications, I really appreciate the sentiment. Plus, a friend of mine was it it!
1. Horses and the People They’ve Served – I am a big fan of history. I have studied the history of horse medicine in China, the history of the American Civil War, and the history of horse-human relations (about which I wrote a book chapter), among other historical fascination. When Lloyds Bank, the British banking giant, released this commercial, I pretty much fell to pieces. I have a hard time getting through it without tearing up (and the song, by Birdy, an absurdly talented English singer/songwriter, is mesmerizing). The history of humans was pretty much built on the back of the horse. Bring some tissues.
