PUEBLO, Colo. – “You can never rid the human soul of its desire to run free.”

That’s the opening salvo in a new short film written, directed and voiced by Cole Hauser to launch PBR’s new brand campaign, a beautifully shot seven-minute paean to generational American resiliency.

Whereas sports campaigns tend to lean on big plays, big games and feats of athletic distinction, the new PBR creative celebrates the American spirit at the heart of our enduring freedom. 

Resilient cowboy values of hard work, embracing responsibilities and fighting for principles are all expressions of the freedom our ancestors dreamed about, and the new campaign brings them to life in various iterations fans will see across traditional and social media as well as throughout PBR programming on CBS Television Network and CBS Sports Network.

In the short, Hauser, in the role of a bull stock contractor, meets up with his prized athlete grazing on a pasture. The bovine (Beaver Creek Beau, to the faithful) eagerly trots toward Hauser’s trailer, and the two travel across a vast stunning landscape, heading to a PBR event where communities of honest, hard-working people come together and legacies are forged through epic, ancient showdowns between man and beast, culminating in the presentation of the National Anthem – the pinnacle symbol of blood-sweat-and-tears sacrifice.

Hauser’s proud and resolute narration concludes, “To conquer without risk is to triumph without glory. This is America. And this is the PBR.”

The accomplished veteran actor starring as Rip Wheeler on television’s No. 1 drama “Yellowstone” teamed up with PBR in 2022, committing to tell stories that elevate values traditionally associated with ranchers, farmers and cowboys.

The creative was shown for the first time last night at a party Hauser co-hosted with Kid Rock at the House of Blues Las Vegas at Mandalay Bay to introduce the coaches and team names for Kid Rock’s Rock N Rodeo, scheduled for May 17 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

“The values associated with ranchers, farmers, and cowboys are centuries old, and ones we want to amplify in working with Cole Hauser,” said PBR CEO and Commissioner Sean Gleason.

“Our sport has always been unabashedly proud of America’s history and heritage, and particularly the important place in that history of cowboys and cowgirls and the values they live by, such as honesty, integrity, hard-work, commitment and sacrifice when necessary. We’re very proud to be showcasing what it means to truly love America and live the cowboy way.”

In announcing his partnership with PBR, Hauser said, “At its core, PBR is an inviting sport showcasing courageous cowboy athletes doing the seemingly unthinkable. But beneath the rush of an 8-second bull ride, these athletes share a simple, pure humanity and live a life centered on values that are more important today than ever.”

Hauser said his goal in working with PBR was “to tell stories revealing the humanity of a group of extraordinary bull-riding cowboys that pulls back the curtain in an uplifting way that celebrates family, loyalty, love, honor, determination and friendship representing the best of Americana.”

Hauser is one of the few actors in Hollywood who have ridden a bucking bull. During filming of the 1998 western The Hi-Lo Country, 9-time world champion and PBR co-founder Ty Murray taught Hauser to ride. He owns a horse named King.

The Hauser-PBR partnership is the first time in PBR’s 30-year history that an outside storyteller has collaborated with the organization to turn up the volume on promoting Western values.

Last weekend, PBR’s premier Unleash The Beast tour, on its third stop of a 23-event season, debuted in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, with sell-outs Friday through Sunday. The red-hot UTB is now loading in at SNHU Areana in Manchester, New Hampshire, for a Friday-Saturday weekend set.

Photo courtesy of Leo Loera/Bull Stock Media