 we may find them. However, they’ve added a twist with their latest ad for the Cruze Hatchback, by replacing real people with real dogs: Chevy […] "'Pin It")
Chevy Taps Some Dogs That Aren’t Actors for Cruze Hatchback Ad
It’s a new year, and that means a new Chevy marketing campaign.
Just kidding! They’re still trotting out those “Real People, Not Actors” ads, no matter how obnoxious (or inaccurate) we may find them. However, they’ve added a twist with their latest ad for the Cruze Hatchback, by replacing real people with real dogs:
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Chevy seems to think it’s being cute here by designating these pooches as “Real Dogs, Not Actors”; as if a dog could ever be an actor! But dogs have a proud acting tradition, and one that should not be discounted by Chevrolet.
According to legend, when the votes were actually tallied in 1929, the true winner of the first-ever Academy Award for Best Actor was Rin Tin Tin. The German Shepherd’s rightful honor was instead bestowed upon German actor Emil Jannings, because the Academy feared that recognizing a dog would undermine the supposed seriousness of its inaugural awards show. (Plus, they were probably worried that the fiercely political Rin Tin Tin would give a Meryl Streep-esque acceptance speech attacking the recently-elected Republican president, whose anti-regulatory stances presaged a global financial collapse).
And since then, there have been plenty of great dog actors. A Wire Fox Terrier named Asta (née Skippy) starred alongside William Powell and Myrna Loy in The Thin Man series, and has since been immortalized as the answer to 16-across in 15% of all crossword puzzles. Then there’s Pal, who starred in MGM’s Lassie series, and whose descendants continue to portray the heroic Rough Collie, making his family the Barrymore’s of dog actors. And who could forget the many dedicated Chinese Pug actors that sacrificed their lives in service of their craft for that bear fight scene in The Adventures of Milo and Otis?
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So are the dogs in this commercial actually actors? I can’t say for sure.
But if they really are amateurs, they should consider getting into show business. That dog who turns his head slightly askew when learning about the Cruze Hatchback’s starting price? That dog has got it.
The Golden Labrador that howls its approval of the Cruze’s Apple CarPlay compatibility also has a compelling screen presence. And I could totally see that Corgi having a role in the next season of The Crown.
Maybe I’m just in a hopelessly romantic mood because I saw La-La Land last weekend, but I think these dogs should follow their dreams.
Patrick Grieve was born in Southwestern Ohio and has lived there all of his life, with the exception of a few years spent getting a Creative Writing degree in Southeastern Ohio. He loves to take road trips, sometimes to places as distant as Northeastern or even Northwestern Ohio. Patrick also enjoys old movies, shopping at thrift stores, going to ballgames, writing about those things, and watching Law & Order reruns. He just watches the original series, though, none of the spin-offs. And also only the ones they made before Jerry Orbach died. Season five was really the peak, in his opinion. See more articles by Patrick.