Well, Zach Borst, the aspiring filmmaker behind the “Happy Grad” commercial [1] for Chevy’s Route 66 Super Bowl Commercial Contest now has something else to jump for joy over. Chevrolet has named his submission as the winner of the ad contest [2], and the comedic Camaro commercial will be aired during Super Bowl XLVI for the view pleasure of an expected 110 million television viewers.
The commercial centers around a recent graduate who mistakenly believes his parents have bought him a brand new 5th Gen Camaro Convertible as a graduation present. Hilarity ensues. Borst says, “My Dad was a cop and worked real hard to be able to buy his kids their first cars. They were used, but mine meant the world to me. Then I wondered what it would look like if I got a brand new Camaro? I mean, after all, who wouldn’t want a Camaro as a graduation gift?” According to General Motors [2], Borst and “Happy Grad” [1] beat out 198 other submissions, and won thanks to a grand total of 32 million plus views during the three week competition time frame.
General Motors Global Chief Marketing Officer Joel Ewanick says, “We asked filmmakers to depict life’s journey and how Chevrolet is there along the way. When I saw Zach’s spot, I had to laugh, because the situation is something many families can related to – expectation and reality. ‘Happy Grad’ clearly shows the passion that Chevrolet elicits.”
[3]