Those who regularly watch television will likely be familiar with Sarah McLachlan’s American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) commercials featuring her 1997 ballad, “Angel.”
The ads usually feature sad-looking and abused puppies or kittens that lack shelter, are underfed and are in desperate need of help. The heartbreaking commercials can often bring tears to anyone who happens upon them when flipping through their television channels.
Well, McLachlan is back to remind folks about the importance of finding hope for beloved animals. However, this time, she seems to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.
A brand new Busch Light 30-second ad set to air during a commercial break on Super Bowl Sunday 2023 features McLachlan poking fun at herself as she tries to call attention to wild animals in need of help despite being in their natural habitat.
But before she makes an appearance, Busch Light’s mascot, “Busch Guy,” takes the spotlight to give folks some tips for surviving in the great outdoors, holding up his book titled: The Busch Guide – cold and smooth survival skills.
Appearing in front of a scenery of majestic mountain tops and stretches of trees, he gives viewers three things that are required to make it in the great outdoors. They include food, drink, and shelter. And, while he references a tent as a way to keep warm, McLachlan takes the term “shelter” as her cue to shed light on animal advocacy.
“Hello. I’m Sarah McLachlan. For just dollars a day, you can help helpless animals find shelter,” she says, giving her emotional plea after pulling back the tent curtain to show her face while seated next to a wolf.
As her song, “Angel,” plays on in the background, images of animals, including an owl, a deer, and a fox, are shown looking completely content as they go about their usual business. The music comes to a halt as McLachlan is, then, interrupted by the outdoorsman, who can be seen opening up his can of ice-cold Busch Light.
“Wrong shelter Sarah,” he says before warning McLachlan about the animal that’s beside her. “Also, that’s a wolf.”
While a nervous McLachlan tries to scoot away from the wolf, “Busch Guy” raises his can of Busch Light and exclaims, “head for the mountains!”
Perhaps McLachlan’s role in the beer ad, whose brand will donate $25,000 to partner One Tree Planted to help “restore forests [and] create habitats for biodiversity” across the globe, is an odd choice, but the Grammy Award-winning singer/animal rights activist reasoned why she deems her inclusion in the ad a great fit.
“Busch Light shares my love of animals and the wilderness so, while it seems unexpected, this spot is a really clever and good-hearted mix of my passions and their brand,” McLachlan said in a press release.
“Last year, Kenny G revived the beer brand’s classic ‘Head for the Mountains’ song, and that’s a tough act to follow, but I love that Busch Light is playing into nostalgia again with a new rendition of my ‘Angel’ ASPCA commercial and I can’t wait to see how people react!” she added.
This year’s Super Bowl will take place at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, AZ., Performers include Chris Stapleton, who will sing the national anthem, R&B legend Babyface who will sing “America the Beautiful” and Rihanna, who will deliver the Apple Music Super Bowl LVII halftime performance.
The Kansas City Chiefs will face off against the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LVII on Sunday (Feb. 12) at 5:30 p.m. CT on FOX.
