"Best Friends"

22 April 2026

2 mins

Bake or break.

This Publix commercial is a more than worthy follow-up to 'Merry Birthday', the supermarket's brilliant ode to Christmas babies. The brand now turns its attention to a pack of dogs whose best friend, Bob the mailman, wants to quit. Why on Earth would he do that? Because 'best friends' tend not to bite each other, lick each other, or cover your cab in spaghetti bolognaise.

One mortified dog—the licker of the pack—admits that "mistakes were made", so the cast of furry puppets must come up with a new and less feral approach if Bob's to stick around. Maybe if they order ingredients from Publix and bake a pie (after the cat reminds them to turn on the oven), they can convince Bob to become a dog person through and through.

They're easy to root for on account of the adorable puppetry, vocal performances, and character beats that are baked into the script. Real care is taken to ensure not that only each dog's personality stands out, but that they act like dogs, too (we love the way their heads lean when the oven door opens). A lot of effort's gone into it, but how does it lead viewers to the advertised supermarket?

It makes them think about tactile gestures—the kind that can be made and make a difference. If they follow the dogs' example (it helps to feel like you can reach out and stroke them), they'll end up somewhere that appreciates why groceries matter.

USA

Supermarkets