Update: GoldieBloxwon the Small Business Big Game contest.
Based on what’s been released so far, there aren’t many Super Bowl XLVIII commercials featuring dogs, and none with cats (we’ll have to see what surprises pop up during the big game). Game watchers may have a chance to see a black Lab mix named Barley, however — if Barley Labs wins Intuit’s Small Business Big Game contest.
A provider of small-business accounting solutions, Intuit put out a call for small businesses (no more than 50 employees) to submit a pitch as to why they deserve a 30-second spot during the 2014 Super Bowl. Finalists were selected via online and Intuit employee votes, and after four rounds of voting, whittled down to four candidates. The winner gets a 30-second commercial that will air during the Super Bowl, with Intuit paying the production and broadcast costs.
One finalist is Barley Labs, a Durham, N.C.-based company that makes all-natural dog treats from spent grain provided by a local brewery (Fullsteam’s Southern Lager). The company’s “chief inspiration officer” is Barley, a 5-year-old black Lab mix, who was adopted from a Chicago animal shelter (the pooch also serves as “VP of quality control”).
Barley’s owners believe every dog deserves a loving home, and 10 cents from the sale of each bag of treats is donated to a local animal shelter. Take a look:
According to the contest’s official site, voting is closed. All that’s left is watch the Super Bowl on February 2 and see the winner.
Other candidates are GoldieBlox (Oakland, California), Dairy Poop (Nampa, Idaho), and Locally Laid Egg Company (Duluth, Minnesota).
