Spruce’s 2026 Super Bowl Ad — Why Dogs (and Kirk Herbstreit) Are Picking a Weed Killer
This year’s Super Bowl ad slate wasn’t just about chips, trucks, and AI assistants — it also included something decidedly earthier: a spot from Spruce, the pet-friendly weed and grass killer from Procter & Gamble, that invited viewers to imagine what would happen if dogs could choose their own lawn products. The campaign’s official title — “If Dogs Could Choose, They Would Choose Spruce” — stars ESPN analyst Kirk Herbstreit alongside his real-life golden retriever, Peter, and adds a dose of both earnest charm and lawn-care absurdity to Big Game advertising.
Spruce’s entry occupies an unusual place in the 2026 ad lineup because it isn’t selling chips or tech; it’s selling garden solutions with a twist — a pet-friendly formula that claims to kill weeds while being safe for pets. The spot leans into that very premise: what if man’s best friend could actually pick the product himself? And if he did, he’d choose Spruce. That’s the delightful (and kooky) narrative hook — a canine perspective on human needs that allows the brand to show off both product benevolence and humor without feeling like an afterthought.
The Creative Strategy: Dogs, Choice, and Human Projection
Spruce’s message isn’t only functional (weed-killing that’s pet-safe) — it’s emotional. The ad’s creative logic is rooted in projection: people already treat their dogs like family members, interpreting their “likes” and “dislikes” as if dogs had human agency. Spruce seizes that instinct and turns it into marketing currency. If dogs could choose a weed killer, they presumably would pick something that keeps their humans happy and doesn’t harm them — a claim that dovetails neatly with Spruce’s positioning.
Casting Herbstreit and Peter was clearly part of that charm offensive. While Herbstreit is better known for college football and NFL commentary, his appearance here works on two levels: as recognizable authority and (more importantly) as a relatable dog dad figure. The duo’s chemistry gives the ad a grounded emotional centre — one that feels less like a corporate sales pitch and more like a slice of life.
One behind-the-scenes post from a campaign producer even teases that the extended spot (including moments not seen in the broadcast version) features an “easter egg” where Peter reacts to another Spruce spot in-universe — a clever nod to the brand’s own continuity narrative.
Humor, Pet Safety, and Consumer Doubt
On the creative side, Spruce’s ad is a welcome respite from the AI fever debuting in other spots. Here we have dogs, humor, and genuine product utility — a rare trifecta in Big Game advertising. Audiences have grown accustomed to celebrity cameos and sweeping narratives; giving a Golden Retriever narrative weight and relevance is a bold gamble that could easily have felt silly but instead plays as warmly subversive.
But that very choice has sparked some conversations among industry analysts. Some viewers praised the ad for feeling real — an organic, grounded story about a product that fits into everyday life, rather than blasting spectacle or celebrity. Others, however, questioned whether audiences needed a weed killer ad during the biggest spectacle in advertising, especially one pitched through canine point of view. Is this a moment to be salty-snack funny or lawn-care earnest? That debate speaks to a broader tension in Super Bowl advertising: brands want cultural relevance, but some categories — like gardening products — aren’t typically considered “sexy” enough for mass recall.
Brand Positioning and Category Breakthrough
Spruce’s appearance during Super Bowl LX also reflects a growing trend: non-endemic brands (products not traditionally tied to sport or entertainment) using the Big Game to reposition themselves with emotionally engaging narratives, rather than functional features alone. After all, viewers at watch parties might remember dogs choosing Spruce more readily than they remember exactly how the product works. That’s part of the trade-off when a brand tries to make technical utility feel cinematic — the emotional payoff may outshine message clarity.
Another talking point has been Spruce’s emphasis on pet safety. In an age where consumers are highly attentive to what products they bring into homes with kids and pets, an ad that foregrounds that angle during a high-visibility moment like the Super Bowl shows strategic awareness — even if the category initially seems outside the usual roster of Big Game contenders.
Final Take: Dogs, Delight, and the Ads Dogs Don’t Even Care About — But You Might
The Spruce commercial “If Dogs Could Choose, They Would Choose Spruce” lands as one of the more whimsical yet heartfelt entries in the 2026 Super Bowl slate. It doesn’t chase spectacle like AI-driven stunts or tear-jerking farm stories; instead, it bets on relatability — the idea that pet owners project emotions onto pets, and that a product that speaks to that projection could stick in consumer memory.
Spruce’s gamble — leaning into humor and functional utility — demonstrates how far Big Game ads have evolved from their peak narrow focus on blockbusters and familiar social genres. It’s an ad that can make audiences smile, maybe think about their own dogs, and maybe remember a brand they would never otherwise have expected to see at the Super Bowl. That’s subtle magic in an environment built for spectacle.
