A poignant new Chevrolet holiday commercial is tugging at heartstrings and resonating with many Americans familiar with people suffering from Alzheimer's and dementia.
Called "A Holiday to Remember," the five-minute-plus ad starts with a family gathering for the holidays, but all is not cheery and bright in the beginning.
Two young girls run to greet their grandmother, but she sits in her chair, uncommunicative and with a blank expression on her face despite their presence.
Over in the kitchen, a woman named Laura discusses her mother's declining health with her father.
She is apparently in the early stages of Alzheimer's.
Laura asks her father how she has been, to which he replies:
"Good days and bad, Laura. But the love is always there."
When Laura cautiously asks, "More bad days than good?" her father says:
"There's some days she doesn't even recognize me."
A teenage daughter who has been quietly observing the family interactions gets up and tries to make the best of the holiday gathering.
She kneels beside her grandmother and says:
"Let's make today a good day."
She leads her grandmother outside to the garage and removes a tarp from the family's blue 1972 Chevrolet Suburban.
The two climb in, and as John Denver's "Sunshine on My Shoulder" plays on the vehicle's 8-track player, the teen drives around to various locations in the small town where her grandmother's youthful memories were made.
Gradually, the grandmother's face shows recognition, and the commercial culminates in a heartwarming emotional finale.
You can watch the full ad here.
Warming: You may want to have tissues ready.
A Holiday to Remember | Chevroletyoutu.be
The automotive company teamed with the Alzheimer's Association to make the commercial for the holidays, as it is often the time of year when many Americans with family members suffering from Alzheimer's and dementia experience heartbreak.
According to the association, 6.7 million Americans ages 65 and older are living with Alzheimer's this year.
Steve Majoros, Chevrolet's head of marketing, shared:
"We talked a lot about reminiscence therapy–not that it's a cure or a solve, but the power of music, the power of memories are things that can enable the person going through it to feel more comfortable."
He continued:
"And the people that are the caregivers that are surrounding them, to also feel more comfortable."
Viewers who saw the powerful ad were understandably moved to tears.
The ad hit home for many people.
Chevrolet introduced the ad during Fox's Thanksgiving Day NFL broadcast, and it will likely continue to make the rounds throughout the holiday season.
Majoros emphasized that the commercial was more than just about their vehicles.
He told USA TODAY:
"We feel a sense of honor and responsibility when given the opportunity to bring these stories to life each holiday season."
Majoros also said General Motors, the Michigan-based automotive company that owns Chevrolet in addition to GMC, Cadillac, and Buick, will opt out of doing Super Bowl commercials in 2024.
"We're not going to go spend a trillion dollars in media," he said, adding that the company will instead focus more on the holidays, which will appeal to consumers with "warm, emotive stories."
