These days, the commercials that play during the Super Bowl half time, and the performances before and after, seem to be more widely talked about among the general public than the actual game itself. Hardly surprising, when you consider just how many eyes are glued to television screens, and how precious that airtime really is.
Ever since Apple released its famous '1984' ad, featuring an Olympian hammer-thrower making a rebellious stand against a sinister Big Brother in a dystopian Ridley Scott-directed short, Super Bowl commercials have become the crème de la crème of advertising, and this year's effort from Google might be the most emotional yet.
Take a look at the heartwarming ad right here:The ad, entitled Loretta, has gone viral on social media after airing last night, and has inspired an outpouring of feelings from viewers due to its tearjerking content.
Featuring an elderly man looking back on his life story before his wife's death from dementia, the widower asks his Google Assistant device to show him pictures of his lost love. He even reads through their notes, with the oldest one, (dated May 2017,) reading: ''Loretta always said, don't miss me too much, and get out of the dang house.''
A number of Twitter-users tweeted about how the ad made them feel, with some even sharing their personal experiences of grief and loss.
For instance, one person wrote: "Google, you made me cry. I am the caregiver of my husband who has Dementia. I am his memory keeper, I think we need you! [sic]"
Meanwhile, news reporter Vic Vela wrote: "Google demonstrated that ads can be about more than just overpaid celebs and cheese-stained fingers. This was absolutely moving and beautiful, and for anyone who has experienced love and loss. #SuperBowl [sic]"
Per USA Today, the ad was actually inspired by a real-life employee's relative, and the tech giant stated: "At 85, to an audience of millions, he’ll be making his film debut. We couldn’t be happier for him."