Subaru sticks to dog-friendly formula in new ad campaign

The Barkleys are back in Subaru's "Dog Tested. Dog Approved" ad campaign.

The automaker aired four TV spots featuring the family of Labrador and golden retrievers Sunday night during the Screen Actors Guild Awards. Two spots showcased the 2019 Subaru Ascent three-row crossover.

The 30-second commercials, titled "Driving Lesson," "Drop Off," "Car Wash" and "Drive Away," feature the Barkleys providing humorous spins on situations in which families find themselves.

In "Driving Lesson," one of the puppies gets distracted by noisy geese and ends up backing into a mailbox post and knocking it over.

In "Drop Off," the parents part ways with their child on the puppy's first day of school. After a quick pep talk, the nervous puppy walks away and looks back at its parents melodramatically, as one of the parents whines and whimpers in despair.

Consumers "love the fact that we're not overselling them. They love the fact that we're really kind of putting dogs in people situations driving our cars," Brian Cavallucci, national advertising manager for Subaru of America, told Automotive News. "I think they appreciate that we're not trying to force a product down their throats. It's more of a entertaining way at connecting with them."

Subaru will join with BuzzFeed and Funny or Die to create content that will underpin #MakeADogsDay later in the campaign, the company said in a statement. Subaru says the content will include short-form videos created for social platforms to engage with an audience that has an affinity toward pets.

The Cherry Hill, N.J., automaker also will continue its Puppy Bowl sponsorship for the eighth year in a row on Super Bowl Sunday, Feb. 4. The Puppy Bowl airs on Animal Planet.

Subaru does not plan a Super Bowl spot, Cavallucci confirmed.

Subaru's U.S. sales last year totaled 647,956 vehicles, a 5.3 percent increase from the previous year -- completing the automaker's ninth consecutive year of record U.S. sales.