Last week on our Facebook page we posted links for Volkswagen’s two Super Bowl commercials featuring talented canine actors. Dogs are almost always popular in Super Bowl ads – but there are potential hazards to the advertiser if the dogs or their depictions are not handled with sensitivity. Last night, shoe makers Skechers premiered a commercial that featured Greyhound racing – not something most dog lovers want to see, even if it includes a comical and darling French Bulldog wearing tiny Skechers who wins the race, moonwalking across the finish line. Comedy or not, media reports say Skechers is taking heat about the racing Greyhounds.
From our view, the star of the night was Bud Light, for featuring a former shelter dog in a funny ad (the dog, ostensibly named Weego, fetches beer for anyone at a party who commands “Here, Weego!” – or happens to say “Here we go!”) – but also, for going one step further and promoting the practice of adopting rescue/shelter dogs. A link flashed at the end of the ad urges viewers to go to facebook.com/budlight, where information about the rescued canine actor is listed, and people are encouraged to “like” the page with this as the reward: for each “like,” Bud Light will donate $1 (up to $250,000) to Tony La Russa’s Animal Rescue Foundation. Now that’s how you capture a dog lover’s attention and affection.
Skechers
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_profilepage&v=MlYCBJSYWBQ
Bud Light
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hyFWSys3TJU
