Subaru Targets Canine Passengers With Super Bowl Ads

In a clever form of targeted advertising, Subaru of America focused its Super Bowl commercials on the second most common occupant of its vehicles – dogs.

Pre-Super Bowl, Subaru released four of its dog-biased adverts on the cat-dominated YouTube. Not surprisingly, these commercials will air predominately during the wildly popular “Puppy Bowl” on Animal Planet.

Three of the spots feature Grant Weber, a Midwestern everyman who works as one of Subaru’s Canine Sales Associate. Despite the inevitable shedding from his spirited customers, he is serious about making his four-legged clients happy in their Subarus. For cat fans, there is even a feline cameo in one of the spots.

In the Grant Weber-less spot, a Subaru Forester slowly opens to the fanfare of Richard Strauss’ “Also sprach Zarathustra, Op. 30,” revealing a pile of deli meats and sausages. Unfortunately, Subaru fails to notice that anything vehicle that can accommodate a dog’s precious cargo is canine cool.

Two important bits of dog info I walked away with after watching these Subaru spots: Dogs like artisanal sausage and dogs don’t mess around when it comes to financing.

Subaru is also planning to release a series of Facebook applications that cater to dogs and their fellow dog enthusiasts. There is a “Dog Matchmaker” that will use a dog’s breed, weight, and lifestyle to determine which Subaru model is the most suitable match. “Four-Paw Drivers Club” is where canines can get their own doggie driver’s license. With “Ask a Dog,” one can enter a dog-related question and get an answer from Subaru’s Canine Expert panel.  Finally, there is “Put Your Dog in a Subaru” where one can upload a picture of their canine co-pilot and put them in the driver’s seat of a Subaru. Kitschy and corny? Yes. Successful social media marketing? We shall see.

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