This year's Super Bowl commercials were rife with celebrity appearances, hilarious moments, and even the resurgence of Breaking Bad. But it was an ad for dog food that truly had everyone talking, albeit with tears streaming down their cheeks.
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The Farmer's Dog submitted its first Super Bowl ad this year, and it did not disappoint. The emotional commercial, meant to promote the brand's fresh dog cuisine, began with a look at a young girl getting a beautiful chocolate lab puppy. She promises the dog "I will always take care of you."
We then see the pup growing up alongside its owner, who is seen going through various phases of her life. The pair go on walks, snuggle under blankets, visit the beach, and take trips together. All throughout the ad, one thing remains constant: the girl's love for her dog. She's seen heading off to college, getting married, and even with a child of her own at one point.
By the end of the commercial, we see the dog with gray fur around its muzzle curled up facing the girl, now a woman, holding her own child close to her. The dog has grown up with her, and the pair have been inseparable over the years. The ad ends with one heartwarming declaration: "Nothing matters more than more years together".
It's enough to bring tears to your eyes just thinking about the ad. The bond between a person and their dog is such a solid, emotional one. And when you watch all of this commercial, you're bound to want to buy a bit of The Farmer's Dog for your best friend, too.
How did it become such a touching promotion for the dog food brand?
"We cried a lot! On paper, it's a simple idea," co-founder and CEO of The Farmer's Dog told People about the spot. "But it can be so hard to bring simple things to life and to convey the emotion we feel about our dogs. We originally didn't plan for this to be a Super Bowl commercial, but when we saw the first cut — and when every other dog person we showed it to also cried — we knew we had something special,"
Regev hopes the ad encourages pet owners to make any necessary healthy changes they can after seeing the ad to improve their pets' lives, be it for their happiness or their health.
"We adore how special our relationship is with dogs and how much they make our lives better. We love everything about them, except for one thing: they just don't live long enough," he said.
Now, if you'll excuse us, someone is cutting a whole lot of onions.