Budweiser has settled on a warm-and-fuzzy name for its star Super Bowl horse after receiving more than 60,000 suggestions via Twitter, Facebook and phone calls, the beer brand announced Tuesday.
The Clydesdale foal featured in Budweiser's popular tearjerker of a Super Bowl spot will be named "Hope." Runners up included "Landslide"—the title of the Fleetwood Mac song that served as a soundtrack to the commercial—as well as "Buddy," "Star," "Raven," "Spirit" and "Stevie."
"Budweiser fans suggested a lot of great names, and it was a tough decision, but we landed on Hope as the perfect name for this friendly, slightly feisty and just perfect Budweiser Clydesdale mare," said Budweiser brand director Lori Shembro. "Many of our fans wanted a name to reflect their optimism and spirit."
Budweiser announced in the days leading up to Sunday's big game that it would feature a Clydesdale foal—born Jan. 16—in its :60 Super Bowl spot, and asked fans to help name the newborn. As of Sunday afternoon, male names appeared to be dominating the suggestion box by volume, according to social polling startup Poptip, with "Buddy" leading the pack.
The commercial, created by Anomaly in New York, told the story of a Clydesdale reunited with her breeder, and won this year's USA Today's Ad Meter ranking of the most popular Super Bowl spots.
Budweiser also announced Tuesday it has named a second Clydesdale, born on Jan. 14, "Stan," honoring baseball Hall of Famer Stan Musial. The former St. Louis Cardinals player died earlier this month at age 92.
The brand has about 200 Clydesdale horses, with half located at the Warms Springs Ranch in Bonneville, Mo. Budweiser expects about 30 foals to be born there this year.
Watch an extended version of the Budweiser Super Bowl Spot, released today, below.