CarMax Recreates ‘Rudy’ Commercial With Puppies (Video)

screen shot via YouTube/CarMax

CarMax has a cute new commercial set to air during this year’s Super Bowl. The ad shows a happy customer in his perfect car, and the entire town slow-claps him off.

Just one commercial wasn’t enough for the people at CarMax, according to AdWeek. They decided that the commercial, which pays homage to the underdog football film “Rudy,” needed some actual dogs. Ad agency Silver + Partners recreated its original ad shot-for-shot using puppies instead of humans and replacing the slow clap with a slow bark. Even Sean Astin, who played the original Rudy and has a cameo in the commercial, got a furry makeover for commercial #2.

But you’ll only see a 30-second cut of the human version during the big game. The puppy version will remain online-only.

Laura Donahue, CarMax vp of creative marketing, is aware that the canine version may be the more popular one. “I will feel excited about any of our combined efforts around the Super Bowl that generate enthusiasm around our brand,” Donahue told AdWeek. “Whether it’s the puppy version or the extended version of the ad running online, any of those outcomes is great.”