Budweiser decided to get serious this year with their patriotic “A Hero’s Welcome” commercial from agency Anomaly.
The 60 second spot documents the homecoming of a single soldier, welcomed (with Budweiser as a sponsor) back from Afghanistan by the entire town of Winter Park, Florida. Winter Park’s celebration included “a full ticker tape parade, complete with marching bands, antique military vehicles, the VFW motorcycle club and an appearance by the world-famous Budweiser Clydesdales.” The 24 year-old Lt. Chuck Nadd, who was just happy to be reunited with his girlfriend, Shannon Cantwell, seemed genuinely surprised and touched.
If all that’s not enough to get you emotional, there’s the 5 minute behind-the-scenes documentary which features members of the Winter Park VFW who helped make the homecoming happen. Several of the veterans talk about their own experiences returning home from war, which were decidedly less pleasant than the welcome Nadd received, and how it really means a lot to feel appreciated. They get pretty emotional, as it clearly means a lot to them to help a fellow serviceman receive the homecoming that would have meant so much to them. Stick around for the behind-the-scenes footage after the jump, if you’re not worried about a case of the onions at work.