The True Love Story Behind Google's "Loretta" Super Bowl Ad Is Heartwarming

From Prevention

When it comes to Super Bowl Sunday, some tune in for the game, others watch for the Pepsi Halftime show, and many of us spend the night rating our favorite commercials.

If you watched the Chiefs take on the 49ers last night, then a particular commercial likely caught your eye—and then made you sob. That commercial would be Google's "Loretta" ad, featuring the heartwarming story of an 85-year-old man using his Google Assistant to remember meaningful details about his late wife.

The ad begins with a Google search for "how not to forget," as instrumental music plays in the background. Answers flood the page with solutions for memory retention, like "repeat a detail." Then, an older man's voice asks his Google Assistant, "Hey Google, show me photos of me and Loretta."

Pictures of the couple appear over the course of their relationship, which causes the man to laugh. "Remember? Loretta hated my mustache," he tells his Google Assistant, which replied that it would store the memory.

Next, the man searches a "little town off the coast of Juneau," and mentioned that Loretta loved going to Alaska (and scallops!). The man follows up by asking his Google Assistant to show photos from his anniversary. "Remember, she always snorted when she laughed," the man says.

The commercial concludes with a list of all of the man's memories of his late wife that are stored in Google Assist. "Remember, I'm the luckiest man in the world," he says.

If the commercial itself wasn't enough to make you cry, learning that it is based on a true story definitely will. Google's Chief Marketing Officer Loiranne Twohill released a statement about the ad, saying that it was inspired by the story of a Google employee’s grandfather.

"In fact, the voice you hear throughout 'Loretta' is the grandfather of a Googler, whose story we drew from to create the ad," she said. "At 85, to an audience of millions, he’ll be making his film debut. We couldn’t be happier for him." How freaking sweet is that?!

Twohill explained that Google's 2020 ad is similar to its first Super Bowl ad, “Parisian Love,” which showed an American man finding love in Paris. It was also based on a true story and equally heart-wrenching. “Both are simple love stories told through the lens of our products,” Twohill said of the commercials.

Of course, people lost it over the ad and took to Twitter to share their thoughts. Today's Hoda Kotb said that it "melted" her.

Other users tweeted that the commercial was hitting them hard.

While many applauded Google for the memorable Super Bowl commercial and voted it as one of the best of the night, others worried the ad was encouraging people to hand over our sensitive and personal information.

Regardless, Google's "Loretta" Super Bowl commercial was a stand out last night, and it definitely has people talking (and crying) well into Monday.

Like what you just read? You’ll love our magazine! Go here to subscribe. Don’t miss a thing by downloading Apple News here and following Prevention. Oh, and we’re on Instagram too.

You Might Also Like

• The Best Yoga Mats, According to Top Yoga Instructors

• The Shockingly Simple Diet Change This Woman Made to Drop 54 Pounds

• Losing Stubborn Belly Fat Really Comes Down to These Two Lifestyle Changes