In a Basement with a Mini Fridge Filled with Beer – During the first Super Bowl LX commercial break, Jeff Walters was spotted by a neighbor in his basement, tears streaming down his cheeks due to the emotional arc of this year’s Budweiser advertisement.

After minutes of trying to gather his words, he stated, “It really just hit me on a deep emotional level. I’ve never seen anything like it before.”

The commercial features a horse who makes the incredibly tough decision to save and befriend a small, suffering baby eagle. That eagle eventually becomes a full-grown American bald eagle.

Our hypothesis is that this advertisement hit so many viewers, like Walters, so deeply because it’s about the power of friendship.

Let’s be real. If that horse didn’t go out of its way to become friends with that eagle, that eagle would still very well be ugly.

We wanted to know, straight from the source, why this commercial is so particularly impactful. We asked Walters, “Does this ad somehow trigger a childhood memory for you that you wish you could relive… or unlive?” He started sobbing again, drank a sip of beer, and behind the tears, said, “I just love beer so much.”

Watch the full analysis of the Budweiser commercial’s emotional arc on our YouTube (linked below or above). It will help you understand the impact of modern thought-provoking media.

Written By: Greigh Cloward