Super Bowl XLVII has been called the most-watched event in history. But for dog and cat lovers, the commercials that aired during the game featured a substantial lack of furry friends as the central focus. Are dogs and cats not entertaining enough for a $4 million 30-second spot? They were in 2012.
Not to say commercials were completely devoid of dogs and cats: Big Bang Theory‘s Kaley Cuoco held a pooch in Toyota’s “Wish Granted” spot; a dog could be seen in still photos during Dodge Ram’s epic, Paul Harvey-narrated “God Made a Farmer;” a dog dressed as an astronaut in Kia’s “Space Babies;” and vicious guard dogs appeared in Bud Light’s “Lucky Chair.” Cats didn’t fare as well, and were primarily used as punchlines — such as the offscreen cat who gets dive-bombed by a human in Pepsi’s “Party” spot.
The online voting community didn’t seem to be pining for dog and cat-centric spots, either. For Doritos Crash the Bowl contest, two of the five candidates prominently featured dogs (“Road Chip” and “Fetch”), but voters opted for “Goat 4 Sale,” while company executives chose “Fashionista Daddy.”
Not that animals were completely lacking from the Super Bowl lineup. Cars.com’s “Wolf” ad, featured a baby wolf who mistaken for a puppy; Skechers’ “Man vs. Cheetah” featured a human chasing, wrestling, and hog-tying the world’s fastest feline with her own tail; and Budweiser’s tear-jerking “Brotherhood” featured one of the company’s famed Clydesdales horses in what was the best spot that ran during the game (see video below).
According to USA Today’s Ad Meter results, Super Bowl 2013 two commercials with animals as the main focus ranked in the top 10 most-liked ads. Results were taken from 7,619 qualified viewers who watched all commercials and gave each one a 1 to 10 ranking. Results are as follows:
| Rank: | Spot: | Company: | RT (sec): | Quarter: | Score:* |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | “Brotherhood” | Anheuser-Busch | 60 | 3 | 7.76 |
| 2 | “Miracle Stain“ | Tide | 60 | 4 | 7.75 |
| 3 | “God Made a Farner“ | Dodge | 120 | 4 | 7.43 |
| 4 | “Fashionista Dad“ | Doritos | 30 | 2 | 7.27 |
| 5 | “Whole Again“ | Jeep | 120 | HT | 7.2 |
| 6 | “Space Babies“ | Kia | 60 | 4 | 6.74 |
| 7 | “Goat 4 Sale” | Doritos | 30 | 1 | 6.71 |
| 8 | “Leon Sandcastle“ | The NFL | 60 | 3 | 6.68 |
| 9 | “Team“ | Hyundai | 30 | 1 | 6.65 |
| 10 | “Prom“ | Audi | 60 | 1 | 6.64 |
* As rated by USA Today’s Ad Meter
If one were looking for cute pet commercials, Puppy Bowl IX was the game to watch. Subaru, for instance, aired several pet-centric commercials (such as “Tailgate”) during Animal Planet’s annual contest featuring adorable pooches, including a half time show with cats and kittens.
Sources: USA Today, Nola.com, Business Insider
