By Natalie Lester, PetSafe Brand Marketing Specialist
As an avid football fan, Natalie loved last night's game. But, she also fell in love with many of the canine faces that graced the screen during the commercials.
Last night as we were all gathered around our televisions for Super Bowl XLIV, most of us were pulling for the New York Giants (naturally, because of Knoxvillians close connection to the Manning family), but we were also looking forward to the “Brand Bowl” during commercials.
When you work in marketing, business development, and the like, it is easy to get pretty jealous creativity and big bucks brands are able to turn out year after year. However, we saw one trend last night that warmed our hearts and turned down the jealousy. Dogs were major stars this year, which only proved how lucky we are to have such a lovely demographic of pet owners to share our products with every day.
Did you know 60 percent of households in the U.S. have a pet? Did you find your heart especially warmed last night by the brands that included dogs?
There were five commercials that really got our attention. To build a little suspense during our Monday food and football coma, I’ll rank them from 5th to 1st.
#5: Huskies are such a hard-working breed. It was so nice to see them get a break in Suzuki’s commercial. Props to the dogs from the Snowy Owl dog sled company! http://youtu.be/2NhgyZojTUk
#4: We have a Gentle Giant of our own in the office, so we know this Doritos’ ad would never really become a reality. Great Danes are just too sweet to hurt anyone, and don’t we all wish our dog would bring us chips? http://youtu.be/9LdJux3rIXU
#3: At PetSafe, the health of our canine and human associates is very important. Our CEO runs over 10 marathons every year. So, we can’t resist Sketchers’ racing commercial. Plus, if you’re a frequent reader, you can’t miss Robin’s fun posts about Buckley! We have a very special spot for Frenchies, too. Now, if only we could get her to moonwalk… http://youtu.be/XDCBxwyXp6U
#2: This Volkswagen ad appealed to our health addiction again. You just have to love Bolt’s dedication, too! We also really appreciate Bolt’s use of our aluminum doors! We’re also sure your dogs would love the freedom a door could add to their lives, but we digress… http://youtu.be/0-9EYFJ4Clo
#1: If there is anything we love more than a good rescue story, we haven’t found it yet. Bud Light’s ad was right on the money highlighting how a pet can impact and enhance your life. And, not just because he could fetch a beverage either, everyone loves that scrawny little face. If you don’t believe us, just check out his 2.4 million fans on Facebook. http://youtu.be/pRQUHEAaQC8
What was your favorite ad this year?
ABOUT NATALIE As the PetSafe Brand Marketing Specialist, Natalie manages The Paw Print blog and generates other brand related content including public relations and promotions. Before PetSafe, Natalie worked in the local media covering politics, education, and religion. She is a substitute pet owner to a German shorthaired pointer named Bedford in Abingdon, VA, Frenchy the schnoodle in Lenoir City, TN, and all the office dogs at PetSafe's headquarters in Knoxville. As a pet lover, she is currently searching for the perfect puppy to join her home.
