Sarah McLachlan has poked fun at her viral and emotional commercials to prevent animal cruelty in a new Super Bowl ad for Busch Light Beer.
The 30 second ad, which was released two weeks ahead of this year’s Super Bowl, began with the brand’s “Busch Guy” explaining a guide for surviving life out in the wilderness.
“Three things are required in the great outdoors: food, drink and shelter,” the company’s spokesperson said with a can of beer in his hand.
Right after the man said “shelter,” the commercial quickly showed McLachlan sitting in a tent while her song “Angel” began to play. The tune and the singer’s appearance in the commercial is meant to spoof the famous tear-inducing ads that she has narrated for the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA).
“Hello, I’m Sarah McLachlan,” she says to the camera in the new ad. “For just dollars a day, you can help helpless animals find shelter.”
As McLahlan said her lines, which align with what she says in her ASPCA commercials, the Busch advertisement showed different shots of animals in the wild. However, the music then cuts off and shows the “Busch Guy” opening his can of beer.
“Wrong shelter, Sarah,” he said, before he pointed out to the singer that the “dog” sitting next to her was a wolf. She then moves away from the animal.
Following the commercial’s release, the 55-year-old issued a statement to express her support for the beer company.
“Busch Light shares my love of animals and the wilderness so, while it seems unexpected, this spot is a really clever and good-hearted mix of my passions and their brand,” she said, via Billboard. “Last year, Kenny G revived the beer brand’s classic ‘Head for the Mountains’song and that’s a tough act to follow.”
She also referred to how this is another rendition of her work. She previously did a spoof of her ASPCA commercials with Bolt, an electronics company, last year.
“I love that Busch Light is playing into nostalgia again with a new rendition of my ‘Angel’ ASPCA commercial, and I can’t wait to see how people react,” McLahlan added.
Krystyn Stowe, the head of marketing for Busch Family and Natural Family at Anheuser-Busch, also acknowledged how nature is a big part of the brand’s usual commercials, which is why the company is “once again bringing the great outdoors to the biggest game of the year”.
“Busch Light fans will love our spin on Sarah McLachlan’s iconic commercial as they always appreciate a bit of humor that ultimately serves a good cause – especially when it comes to great outdoors we both hold dear,” she added.
In addition, Busch Light will be donating $25,000 to its partner One Tree Planted, a nonprofit organisation that’s focused on helping the environment by planting trees worldwide.
The Super Bowl will take place on Sunday 12 February. You can find all of the best commercials so far here.
