Dale Jr. commercial to debut during Daytona 500

Dale Earnhardt Jr., fends off a posse of post-apocalyptic mutant warriors in Budweiser's newest ad titled "Apocalypse," set to debut during Sunday's Daytona 500 on Fox-TV. Dale Jr.'s pursuers chase the red #8 Chevy across a barren desert landscape, flinging fire bombs and wielding chainsaws, in pursuit of the last Budweiser on Earth. Just when he seems surrounded, Dale Jr. emerges from the Budweiser #8 car to confront his pursuers, exuding the same Southern moxie that has made him one of the most liked athletes in America. In addition to the Dale Jr. ad premiere, Budweiser is utilizing its position as the Official Beer of the Daytona 500 to introduce special Budweiser aluminum bottles featuring a checkered flag neck and the Daytona 500 logo. The bottles are on sale now in NASCAR race markets nationwide. Fans can get a look at the making of the ad at Budweiser.com, including exclusive behind-the-scenes video, and interviews with Dale Jr. and the production team. The 60-second ad, filmed near Lancaster, Calif. in mid-November, was directed by DDB Worldwide, Chicago. Dale Jr. has appeared in more than a dozen ads for Budweiser since 1999. fingerprint inc./Budweiser PR