More than 15 years ago, Sarah McLachlan starred in heartstring-tugging late-night infomercials for the ASPCA encouraging us to do our part to save abused animals cued to her weepy ballads “Answer” and “Angel.” Now, the beloved Canadian songbird is beseeching us to do our part for another too-frequently abandoned staple of our modern lives: the digital shopping cart.
In a new ad for Bolt — an app that helps you complete your online purchases quickly — McLachlan spoofs her weepy 2007 spots while lamenting the very-real problem of items abandoned in digital shopping carts.
“Every day, 70% of all online shopping carts are abandoned at the checkout page,” the singer says in the ad where her serious words are accompanied by maudlin music and images of cute teddy bears left to fend for themselves in old school metal shopping carts. “Victims of a cruel and exhausting check-out process.”
Seated on a comfy couch similar to the one in her ASPCA ad, McLachlan prods viewers to help save these lonely, stranded carts, “whose dreams are crushed by questions” such as “is your billing address the same as your home address” and many more head-scratching queries. “Your actions can help give a cart warmth and care,” she adds, while stopping to admire a very nice blender in a prop cart wheeled onto the set.
The best part comes near the end when an earnest singer begs viewers to go to the site and check it out, imploring, “please come on, we’ve got Sarah f—in’ McLachlan!” as the star silently strums a guitar and stares into the camera with a sad, but hopeful look.
Bolt is also doing its part to support McLachlan’s favorite issues by donating $50,000 to the ASPCA and offering discounted “rescue cart” merch (all less than $1) in their store; Bolt will donate an additional $10 to the ASPCA for every item purchased up to $50,000. Fast Company reported that the chuckle-worthy ad is courtesy of actor Ryan Reynolds’ snarky Maximum Effort agency, which recently released a poorly-timed Peloton ad featuring disgraced Sex & The City star Chris Noth.
Check out the McLachlan ad below.