Sorry, cat lovers. Not only are Volkswagen, Anheuser-Busch InBev and Skechers placing dogs in their Super Bowl spots, but the dogs are mostly the stars. The canine story line has worked for years for Super Bowl advertisers. But this year, dogs may even outnumber cute babies.
“You can’t go wrong with a dog,” say Robbie Blinkoff, a cultural anthropologist. “The dogs are idealized versions of ourselves. The dogs aren’t dogs — they’re us.”
Among the Big Game’s barkers:
-VW. Perhaps the most highly anticipated hound is from Volkswagen, whose 2011 Super Bowl spot and social-media hit featured a kid dressed as Darth Vader who thinks “The Force” helped him start a car. This time, VW’s star is Bolt, a 3-year-old Australian shepherd and St. Bernard mix that goes on a Jedi-like quest to be worthy to chase the new Beetle. “Dogs are a universal force for good, much like the Volkswagen brand,” says Brian Thomas, general manager of brand marketing.-A-B. The beer giant, which has used dogs in Super Bowl spots for years, will have dogs in two spots this year. One, for Budweiser, shows the brand’s iconic Dalmatian for just a moment. Another, for Bud Light, stars a mangy rescue dog named Weego, who fetches a bottle whenever he hears someone say, “Here, Weego” (a spoof on the Bud Light tag line Here We Go.) “People have always had a special relationship with dogs,” says Paul Chibe, vice president of A-B’s U.S. marketing. Even then, he insists, “The connection of dogs to our spots is more of a coincidence.”
-Skechers. It’s a long way from Kim Kardashian, who starred in its racy Super Bowl spot last year, to this year’s star: a French bulldog. In the 2012 spot, the dog, named Mr. Quiggly, wears shoes from the brand’s GOrun line and races a pack of greyhounds. Even before it’s aired, the spot has raised protests from greyhound advocacy groups.
"Mr. Quiggly" races against a pack of greyhounds in a Skechers Super Bowl ad.
But Leonard Armato, president of Skechers Fitness Group, says the spot is about inspiration — not greyhound racing. Says Armato, “We believe he’ll be the most lovable dog on the Super Bowl.”
Then, there’s TaxAct. The first-time Super Bowl advertiser planned, at one point, for its spot to show a dog peeing. It even paid for the animal talent — and shot the scene.
Then, it had a more tasteful change of heart.
“We knew the network might have issues with a dog peeing,” says Kristin Peterson, vice president of marketing. “Besides, it wasn’t key to the story.”
~Courtesy of Bruce Horovitz – Jan. 31, 2012 08:24 AM USA TODAY
Contributing: Laura Petrecca
