Budweiser Super Bowl Ads Get Emmy Nods

ST. LOUIS -- Two Budweiser ads, "Puppy Love" and "Hero's Welcome," have received Emmy nominations in the Outstanding Commercial category. The two spots ran during Super Bowl XLVIII in February.

"It's a tremendous honor to be nominated by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences and an even greater recognition to garner two of five nominations in the category," said Brian Perkins, vice president, Budweiser. "Not only have our ads achieved critical acclaim, but both creatively bring the Budweiser brand story to life for loyal beer drinkers and new generations of consumers."

This is Budweiser's first nomination in the category since 2006's "Clydesdales American Dream." Similar to the previously nominated ad, both "Puppy Love" and "Hero's Welcome" feature the Budweiser Clydesdales.

A Super Bowl fan-favorite, "Puppy Love" tells the story of a 10-week old puppy that forges a special bond with the Budweiser Clydesdales at Warm Springs Ranch, Budweiser's Clydesdale breeding facility. The canine star of the ad became a viral sensation after his debut, driving more than 51 million YouTube views, more than 1 million Facebook likes and even launching his own Twitter handle, @BudweiserPuppy.

In "Hero's Welcome," Budweiser continues its long-standing support of the U.S. military, chronicling a single soldier's homecoming from Afghanistan. To the surprise of Lt. Chuck Nadd, his entire hometown of Winter Park, Fla., and the Budweiser Clydesdales joined together in welcoming him home with a ticker tape parade.

The creative agency behind both Emmy-nominated ads is Anomaly. "Puppy Love" was directed by Jake Scott, produced by RSA Films and features the song "Let Her Go" by Passenger. "Hero's Welcome" was directed by The Malloys, produced by HSI and features the song "Coming Home Pt. II" by Skylar Grey.

"Budweiser is an iconic brand and with these films, we hoped to represent its deeply-rooted values through entertaining and powerful storytelling," said Mike Byrne, chief creative officer at Anomaly.

The ads have been recognized with numerous awards, including the top spot and third place in the USA Today Super Bowl Ad Meter, "Puppy Love" and "Hero's Welcome," respectively.

The Creative Arts Emmy Awards will take place on Aug. 16 and the Primetime Emmy Awards will take place Aug. 25.

Budweiser and Bud Light are the flagship brands of St. Louis-based Anheuser-Busch. The company is a wholly owned subsidiary of Anheuser-Busch InBev.