Is this a Tide ad?

No, but I wish it was.

Tide, a laundry detergent, won the Super Bowl… if winning is based off having the best commercials.

Just when you think you’re watching a car or beer commercial it turns out to be a Tide ad. Typically, when there is a shirtless man on a white horse you know you’re in for an Old Spice advertisement. When Mr. Clean is shown, you’re thinking sponges. Or when there’s a Clydesdale, Budweiser is probably promoting a new can. But all these commercials end differently than usual. They all end with Tide.

David K. Harbour is the face of Tide. While Harbour has been around for some time, many people recently learned his name due to his role in the popular Netflix series Stranger Things.

Harbour is on the back of the white horse and a Tide bottle comes out of the man’s hand instead of a nice-smelling deodorant. Mr. Clean isn’t the animated figure you thought he was, it’s really Harbour. And that beautiful Clydesdale? It’s Harbour with Tide standing behind the fence watching him gallop.

Tide bought five Super Bowl ads and hired a current, popular TV star, but how? And why? By having a commercial every quarter, Tide planned to infiltrate the game. This though is not the only why or the one I was thinking of. My why most likely answers the how.

The laundry detergent gained tons of news coverage lately over a controversial contest, called the Tide Pod Challenge. While Tide has not contributed anything but warnings since it started, the challenge has taken over the internet.

The Tide Pod Challenge started when someone created a meme, an instantly viral photo or video, making a joke about how Tide Pods look like candy. Someone then decided to film themselves eating one. While Darwin is most likely laughing in his grave, Tide needed a cover-up because the challenge was getting out of control.

They spent tons of money, some of which probably came from the current rise in Tide Pod sales, to out-shine a harmful contest that teens are playing with their product.

Tide’s clever approach helped it block, tackle and recover the fumble from some other ads lacking a call-to-action or an impact, making it a MVP.

I guess this was a Tide ad after all.

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