Budweiser Takes One Last Lap at Daytona With Dale Earnhardt Jr. in Stirring Tribute

Budweiser bids farewell to longtime brand ambassador Dale Earnhardt Jr. with a sendoff to the Nascar legend ahead of his impending retirement, in the form of a poignant three-minute tribute video created by VaynerMedia. Earnhardt, 43, who announced his retirement at the end of the 2017 season back in April, has a relationship with Budweiser dating back to 1999, when he first drove a car with a Bud paint job around a Nascar Cup Series track. The brand has been an official sponsor of Earnhardt's since 2007, though not continuously, and Earnhardt won 17 of his 26 career Cup victories in a Budweiser car. The extended online version of the spot opens on a covered sheet flowing off Earnhardt's Budweiser-branded car. Set to "The Night We Met" by Lord Huron, which Budweiser vp of marketing Ricardo Marques said is one of Earnhardt's favorite songs, the spot runs through a series of the Nascar driver's career highlights, from his debut to his most famous victories, interspersed with the vehicle making a last lap around Daytona, seemingly without a driver. The ad doesn't skip over Earnhardt's father Dale Sr.'s tragic death at Daytona on Feb. 18, 2001, at age 49, but poignantly shows how it made Earnhardt Jr.'s victory in the Daytona 500 three years later that much more meaningful. [kickout id="3"] The spot concludes with the message: "Through all the twists and turns, you kept your foot on the gas. This Bud's for you, Junior." "Budweiser will always have a special place in my heart. They took a chance on me early on, sponsored my first Cup ride, and paved the way to many great opportunities I wouldn’t have had otherwise," Earnhardt said in a statement. "I’m deeply honored in what they’ve done to commemorate my final race. It was unexpected and humbling. It brought back a rush of memories, but more than anything it reminded me how awesome it was to drive that red No. 8 car." "Budweiser has been with Dale Jr. through some of the biggest moments of his career. It’s because of Dale Jr. that the Bud car became synonymous with Nascar," Marques told Adweek. "We’re raising a cold Bud for a driver who transcended his sport, inspired millions and whose wins on the track are only surpassed by his character off it." A 30-second version of the ad will make its broadcast debut this Sunday, Nov. 19, during the broadcast of Earnhardt's last race at Homestead. Budweiser will also air a retro ad from earlier in his career during the broadcast. (See below.) [kickout id="4"] "Bud and Dale Jr. have a long and decorated history, starting back in 1999 when Dale Jr. first took to the Nascar Cup Series track in a Budweiser paint scheme," Marques added. "During those years, Budweiser collaborated with Dale Jr. on many Bud commercials, including Super Bowl ads. To make this moment even more special, we wanted to bring back a piece of that work." CREDITS BRAND TEAM: Budweiser US VP Marketing: Ricardo Marques Senior Director Experiential Marketing - Sports: Nick Kelly Senior Brand Director: Monica Rustgi Senior Brand Manager, Experiential: Varun Mehrotra AD AGENCY: VaynerMedia Chief Creative Officer: Steve Babcock Group Creative Director: Chris Bradley Group Content Director: Ritesh Gupta Creative Director: Todd Bradley Associate Creative Director: Harrison Barron Senior Art Director: Jes Vallee Senior Copywriter: Tory Dickerson VP, Account: Joe Leotta Senior Account Executive: Tracy Lowy Producer: Lauren Dinsdale Business Affairs: Jaymie Lipman PRODUCTION COMPANY: VaynerProductions Head of Production: Jason Beauregard Director: Ritesh Gupta EP: Mat Holis DP: Boaz Freud Producer: Joel Lilje Production Manager: Liz Victorine Graphic Designer: Todd Stansbury, Don Pollard Wardrobe Stylist: Amy Stearley POST: Cutters Studio Editor: Tom Brassil Assistant Editor: Meghan Sims Assistant Editor: David Rubin Assistant Editor: Austin Rauterkus Executive Producer: Elizabeth Krajewski Senior Producer: Stephanie Rose Associate Producer: Jayson Ramos Audio Engineer: TJ Dumser Flame: Moises Tavera Color: The Helm Creative Colorist: Lez Rudge

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Budweiser Takes One Last Lap at Daytona With Dale Earnhardt Jr. in Stirring Tribute

Spot will air during the Nascar legend's final race on Sunday

Erik Oster

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Erik Oster