Super Bowl ads go to the dogs and first play day in the Cat-Trium

Did any of you notice that many of the Super Bowl advertisements included dogs?  Seems we have gone from babies to dogs as the actor’s in the game’s famous ads. Some viewers say the Super Bowl commercial breaks are looking more and more like the Puppy Bowl.  Perhaps that is because the television commercials with dogs have the most bark and the biggest bite for their sponsors and viewers.

I was interested in the game, but actually more interested in the type of ads corporations spent millions on this year. The key to the success of these spots, the ad business executives say, are the dogs.  "The pooches act like nice people. Dogs seem to be more personable.  People can relate to them. The love for animals is universal."  A Great Dane for Doritos, a scruffy cute terrier-like dog named WeGo for Bud Light, a fabulous St. Bernard/Australian Shepherd mix named Bolt for Volkswagen, and an unforgettable cast of dogs singing the Star Wars song were all very heartfelt and entertaining.

A top advertising executive has been quoted as saying that "the only thing that trumps sex is a cute animal"!  If this year is any indication, this has become a basic rule of Super Bowl advertising.

In addition to the “cuteness” factor, advertisers may have chosen dogs for yet another reason. Last year one major advertiser chose Kim Kardashian as their spokesperson.  Dogs may indeed be a safer bet than celebrities.

After the game was over my Welsh Terrier Baley, who is quite taken with her own looks and personality, asked if she could audition for next year’s Super Bowl ads.  Hmm….she is quite the poser.   The thought of my one of my dogs financially supporting me for the next few years is indeed tempting.  But then I recall Baley’s lack of cooperation with commands and going along with anyone’s idea other than her own, and I come back to earth!

Long live the dogs of Super Bowl XLVI!

And no, I haven’t forgotten about my cats…..below is a photo from the first day of a cat-trium play.  The contractor finished yesterday, but because cats don't like change and noise very much, it took a few hours after the boxes were completed for them to begin venturing out to play and explore.  They actually had a great time smelling, investigating, and crawling through the wooden boxes and shelves.  It was the first time in a long while that many of them had stepped out of their comfort zones, even if it were only to perch on the overhead bridge watching the others. The young ones (my teenagers) are running and jumping all over the cat-trium, seemingly inspiring the others.  Teasing the older cats and scratching the furniture is no longer as tempting now that they have their very own outside jungle-gym.  So glad I created this!