Walter the Chevy Cat Is Back, and More Doglike Than Ever
In a spot that broke Sunday, Walter—the cat that acts like a canine—returns for some winter antics to promote Chevrolet's Silverado Trail Boss.
As you may recall, the confused kitty first romped across screens last summer in an ad by Commonwealth//McCann that became a big hit during the Olympics. He put on the dog a few months later, too, with a blink-and-you'll-miss-him cameo in a commercial that ran during NBC coverage of the NFL's kickoff game.
This latest outing, however, marks Walter's true triumphant return. He behaves like bowser to tout the Silverado Trail Boss's off-roading capabilities, such as a two-inch lift and standard Goodyear Duratrac tires:
The best bits include our lion-in-winter failing miserably at hockey, using a hydrant for fast relief (suck it, Fido!) rescuing a skier from the snow St. Bernard-style, and baring his fangs while chasing down a postman. (Dude, quit reading my mail!)
Everyone's shocked by his shenanigans, and Walter's human—John Hoogenakker, reprising his role from the first ad—quips: "It's like nobody's seen a cat before." (Perhaps they missed the original ad, although with millions of views and media play worldwide, that's unlikely, doggone it.)
Nine trained cats, each with different skills—running on cue, leaping into trucks, keeping letter carries from the swift completion of their appointed rounds—portray "Walter."
O Positive director Spencer Riviera helmed the spot, while Henry McClintock's "Big Rock Candy Mountain" from 1928 again provides the outdoorsy soundtrack.
"The plan was always to do a sequel," says agency creative chief Gary Pascoe. "We studied successful sequels, and what seems to always works is doubling down on what people like, double the gags, double the fun, double everything, so that's what we did."
CREDITS
Commonwealth//McCann:
Chief Creative Officer: Gary Pascoe
Executive Creative Director: Bob Guisgand
Executive Creative Director: Duffy Patten
Creative Director: Gary Golden
Creative Director: Gary Wise
Creative Director, Still and Motion: Mike Brooks
Creative Operations Director: Miya Petrovic
Director of Broadcast Production: Paul Renusch
Executive Producer: Kelly Balagna
Executive Producer: Adam VanDyke
Group Account Director: Bill Wilt
Account Director: Bill Freed
Account Supervisor: Amanda Fogolini
Senior Project Managers: Ken Ashburn/Ashley Franso
Associate Director- Business Management: Julie Peterhans
Associate Director-Talent Affairs: Stacy Swann
Talent Affairs Manager: Stacy Switala
Product Insights & Analysis Manager: Eric Singer
O Postive:
Director: Spencer Riviera
Executive Producer: Marc Grill
Producer: Brady Vant Haul
Hitch Co Technologies, Inc:
Editor: Jim Hutchins
Executive Producer: Jane Hutchins
Cutting Assistant: Austin Hickman-Fain
The Mill:
VFX Supervisor: Keith Sullivan
Executive Producer: Mandy Harris
Producer: Katharine Mulderry
Lime:
Sound Design/Audio Mix: Rohan Young
Executive Produce: Susie Boyajan
Audio Mix Assistant: Jeremy Nichols
