Think woodchucks chucking and little pigs wee-weeing are the only endearing animal actors in televison spots?
You haven't seen Agee, the 800-pound, 7-foot-tall polar bear that travels from a melting Artic ice floe to suburbia to embrace the owner of an all-electric vehicle.
The Nissan Leaf commercial has the same emotional impact as the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals ad featuring Sarah McLachlan singing Angel.
Both are "ah" producers guaranteed to twang the strings of hard hearts everywhere.
The ASPCA plea has produced 60 percent of the organization's $50-million annual budget.
No sales figures are available yet for the Leaf, which is expected to arrive in showrooms in select markets this year.
But if the SPCA bonanza is any clue, the grateful ultimate predator will spearhead thousands of eco-friendly deals.
Who said American enterprise is stagnant? (7 NOVEMBER 2010)
