Budweiser ads shift toward millenials as its revealed 44 percent of drinkers under 28 have never tasted the King of Beers

• The traditional Budweiser Clydesdales won't be featured in the brand's holiday ads this year, choosing instead to put give the beer a youthful feel
• Ads featuring bearded 20-somethings and quirky cheer have appeared as Christmas advertisements ramp up
• Budweiser had 7.6 percent of the market last year, down from 14.4 percent a decade ago as a result of the growing popularity of light and craft beers

By Josh Gardner for MailOnline and Ap

Published: 22:24 EST, 30 November 2014 | Updated: 23:50 EST, 30 November 2014

Slumping sales have America's most iconic beer scrambling to catch the attention of the coveted milennial market with quirky ads aimed at the Pabst-swilling set.

Budweiser's holiday advertising won't heavily feature the iconic Clydesdale horses galloping through snow, which have dominated the brand's Christmas spots for years.

The beard- and spectacle-wearing actors have replaced the horses just as the King of Beers' throne is being challenged by craft beers and imports.

Cheers! Budweiser has changed its target audience with holiday ads that feature 20-somethings enjoying the iconic American beer

Prefer Pabst? The ads come as Budweiser's sales slump thanks to a lack of demand for the beer from the under 30 set

Budweiser research has revealed a whopping 44 percent of drinkers aged 21 to 27 have not even tried one of the red and white labeled American lagers, reports the New York Post.

Those labels, too, are set for a change.

At the start of November, Budweiser began offering an 18-pack that comes in a nostalgic wooden crate with bottles festooned with labels from 1918, 1933 and 1976.

The company says the crates are replicas of those that were used to deliver the beer to retailers after Prohibition.

Along with the ads featuring young, cheerful people drinking Budweiser, the move appears to be leveled at drinkers who've helped blue collar Pabst become the beer most associated with hipsters.

The change comes as Budweiser's share of the U.S. beer market has declined since hitting its peak in 1988. According to Beer Marketer's Insights, Budweiser had 7.6 percent of the market last year, down from 14.4 percent a decade ago.

Hip! The beer is also being offered for the holidays in a throwback wooden crate with bottles that have labels from eras gone by

The Clydesdales have been associated with Budweiser since 1933, when the company introduced them to celebrate the repeal of Prohibition for beer.

The country's No. 3 beer brand said the horses will not play a role in its traditional advertising for the season, although the company added later Monday that they will be featured in spots promoting responsible drinking.

Anheuser-Busch InBev also said the Clydesdales will return to be part of its upcoming Super Bowl ads.

'The Clydesdales play a strong role for the brand, representing Budweiser quality and care for more than 80 years. As icons of the brand — and relevant symbols of integrity, perfection and team spirit for all generations — they are important to the brand and our campaigns,' Anheuser-Busch said in a statement last Monday.

Beat it, horses: The Clydesdales have been associated with Budweiser since 1933, when the company introduced them to celebrate the repeal of Prohibition for beer. Their traditional spot in the brand's holiday ads has been taken over by beard and spectacle-wearing millennials