US Ad of the Day: Chevrolet’s ‘Mrs Hayes’ Christmas ad tugs on the heartstrings

The 60-second spot, titled ‘Mrs Hayes,’ is a tearjerking blend of nostalgia, grief and idealistic neighborliness. The video opens with a woman sitting alone in a parking lot inside a ‘57 Chevy Nomad, struggling with the ignition. She looks into the rearview window into her own reflection, triggering a cascade of memories – all of which revolve around her car.

Many years pass by in a matter of seconds: we see her giving a tearful goodbye to her husband dressed in a military uniform; driving home alone with a folded American flag; becoming a maternal figure to a young neighborhood boy named Billy, teaching him how to repair the Nomad; driving Billy’s wife to the hospital to deliver a baby. And then suddenly we’re snapped back to the present; an adult Billy is outside the Nomad, tapping on the window.

The spot concludes with Mrs Hayes alone in her living room, setting up Christmas decorations. Billy, together with his wife and daughter, suddenly pulls up outside her home, driving the Nomad, which has been completely renovated. Snow is falling, Mrs Hayes and Billy hug; it’s a classic Christmas movie wrapped up into one minute and stamped at the end with a Chevy logo.

“Nearly everyone has a Chevrolet story, and we feel fortunate to have genuine connections with so many,” Chevrolet chief marketing officer Steve Majoros said in a statement. “We call this our holiday card to America.”

The new spot – which was created by Chevrolet’s partner agency Commonwealth//McCann – follows a similar ad that Chevrolet released around Christmas last year. Titled ‘Holiday ride,’ the 2021 spot was arguably even more emotionally intense, complete with an aging man taking down dusty holiday wreaths by himself, a fading photograph of his deceased wife, beautiful mountain landscapes, a daughter holding back tears and saying “it’s what mom would have wanted,” and a faithful dog.

“Last year, the holiday commercial resonated so deeply with viewers, so the decision to create another spot that was rooted in nostalgia and community was an easy one,” Majoros said in a statement. “We hope viewers love the [new] story as much as we do.”

‘Mrs Hayes’ will premier tomorrow, Thanksgiving Day, during an NFL game. Chevrolet has also released a longer version of the TV spot, which clocks in at just under six minutes.

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