By now, consumers are accustomed to seeing animals talking and acting like humans in commercials. But why exactly is it that advertisers opt to use animals to sell products instead of the people who will actually use them?
Simply put, it typically works. The emotional pull consumers feel towards a furry friend makes them more inclined to take notice, and using animals makes a commercial seem less like an ad and more like a story. These five brands have mastered the use of animals in their commercials to encompass most, if not all, of these qualities to successfully market products.
1. Friskies
Earlier this summer Friskies partnered with BuzzFeed to create a commercial for wet cat food. The video, entitled “Dear Kitten,” went viral on YouTube, eventually gathering more than 15 million views. Centered around an older cat introducing a kitten to domestic life, the ad is native in nature and doesn’t actually appear to be a commercial until the last ten seconds when the sales pitch actually happens.
2. Budweiser
Budweiser’s “Puppy Love” commercial, about a dog and horse who desperately want to be “best buds,” pulls the heartstrings of any animal lover. Not only was the commercial wildly popular when it debuted during the Super Bowl earlier this year, but it also garnered over 50 million views on YouTube. And while notably shorter than “Dear Kitten,” it too doesn’t resemble a commercial until the last several seconds when the Budweiser logo is shown.
3. Match.com
In March, Match.com used their “Bark in the Park” commercial to launch a new service: Match.com socials. Combining the “must love dogs” mentality with a cute advertising spot, Match clearly wanted to zero in on pet-loving singles. Unlike the previous two videos, this commercial did not become a viral YouTube video, but nonetheless, it’s still pretty cute.
4. Aflac
Aflac’s latest commercial “Duck Does Yoga,” released in the beginning of August, follows a long string of commercials that focus on the company’s mascot. This particular commercial shows the duck up to his latest antics, and this time it’s yoga classes. While immediately recognizable as a commercial, the entertainment value may be enough to keep consumers tuned in as the Aflac duck struggles to do yoga. And in just under a month, the spot has racked up more than 20,000 views on Youtube.
5. Chobani
Chobani also had a Super Bowl commercial that featured a furry friend. However, “Chobani Bear Game Day,” isn’t trying to be cute like “Puppy Love,” and instead focuses on the ridiculous. A bear is on the loose for some “real food” in a small town convenience store, and wreaks havoc in the process. Until the very end when the Chobani logo is shown—the "real food" the bear desired— it appears more like a scene from a bad horror movie than commercial. While not quite as popular as “Puppy Love,” the video has still gotten nearly 3 million views on YouTube.
