Super Bowl XLVIII hasn't even started, but the Internet is ready to declare a winner in the contest for best commercial.
Budweiser premiered the commercial "Puppy Love" on NBC's Today show Wednesday ahead of Sunday's big game, earning millions of YouTube clicks in a matter of hours with the touching story of puppy-pony friendship.
The commercial tells the heartwarming story of a ten-week-old golden retriever puppy who breaks out of his home to visit his Clydesdale friends. When a slick New York City-type tries to adopt the puppy, the Clydesdale friends run after it and bring it home to live with them.
The video is a sequel of sorts to last year's Budweiser Super Bowl spot, "Brotherhood," about the relationship between a baby Clydesdale and its trainer. This year the trainer, played again by actor Don Jeanes, has some subtle chemistry with the dog breeder, played by Sports Illustrated swimsuit model Melissa Keller.
The commercial's music pulls particularly hard on the heartstrings; the song is "Let Her Go" by Passenger.
Here's last year's commercial:
The beer company is also planning a second, unreleased Super Bowl ad that pays tribute to soldiers returning home from Afghanistan.
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