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Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →The strange creature in Mountain Dew’s “Puppy Monkey Baby” commercial began as an inside joke between two BBDO creatives: Monty Pera and Don Marshall Wilhelmi. They fused three familiar Super Bowl ad images—puppies, monkeys and babies—then found a product reason to keep the mashup: Mountain Dew Kickstart was promoted as a blend of DEW, fruit juice and caffeine. The spot aired during Super Bowl 50 on February 7, 2016. Calling it the strangest Super Bowl commercial ever is a matter of taste, not an established ranking.
Which commercial is this title referring to?
The best-supported match is Mountain Dew Kickstart’s “Puppy Monkey Baby,” the hybrid-character ad that debuted during Super Bowl 50. The phrase “strangest of all time” is subjective; other commercials have also been described as unusually weird. This article follows the origin story tied to the title’s question of who came up with the puppy-monkey-baby idea.
| # | Preview | Product | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
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Mountain Dew Soda, 12 Fl Oz Cans (Pack of 12) | $6.97 | Buy on Amazon |
| 2 |
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Mountain Dew, Baja Cabo Citrus12 Fl Oz Cans (Pack of 12) | $5.97 | Buy on Amazon |
| 3 |
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Mountain Dew, Baja Cabo Citrus Zero Sugar 12 Fl Oz Cans (Pack of 12) | $5.97 | Buy on Amazon |
The commercial shows the creature appearing to three friends and bringing them Kickstart. Its repeated name makes the three-part image hard to miss—and links the oddity directly to the product.
Who came up with Puppy Monkey Baby?
Monty Pera, a creative director and art director, and Don Marshall Wilhelmi, a creative director and copywriter, developed the concept while working at BBDO in 2016. In an oral history with MEL Magazine, they recalled being assigned a Mountain Dew television spot in July or August, initially without knowing it would air during the Super Bowl.
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- Includes 12 (12 fl oz) cans of Mountain Dew Soda Pop, Original
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The first spark was an advertising joke, not a detailed character brief. Pera described puppies, monkeys and babies as familiar Super Bowl ad tropes. Wilhelmi recalled the combination as “really just an inside joke between us.” They wrote it up because the mashup amused them.
How did the joke become a product idea?
The team connected the three creatures to what Mountain Dew Kickstart was presented as combining: DEW, real fruit juice and caffeine. In the campaign’s logic, each element had a counterpart in the hybrid character. PepsiCo’s 2016 announcement and The One Club’s campaign record describe that three-part product-and-character connection.
That link gave the absurd image a clear advertising job: make Kickstart’s combination noticeable during a crowded Super Bowl broadcast. The creature was not simply a random mascot; its three components echoed the beverage’s stated ingredients.
Rank #2
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Why did Mountain Dew run an ad that tested poorly?
Pera and Wilhelmi recalled developing multiple ideas for the client. Their Puppy Monkey Baby script and mood boards were their favorite, and their boss recommended the concept. But when an animatic was tested, the response was sharply divided. Wilhelmi put it plainly: “The testing went really bad.”
The creators said the third-party testing company characterized it as the most polarizing ad it had tested and advised against proceeding. They also said Mountain Dew chose to run it. This account comes from the creators’ oral history; the published material does not give a numeric score, sample size or methodology, so the result should be understood as attributed testimony rather than independently verifiable test data.
Polarization was not necessarily a flaw from the creative team’s perspective. Wilhelmi said they expected the spot to divide viewers and valued the attention and conversation that could follow. PepsiCo’s stated campaign rationale was to make Kickstart’s three-part fusion stand out during the game.
Rank #3
- Includes 12 (12oz) cans of Mountain Dew Zero sugar soda pop, Baja Cabo Citrus flavor
- Mountain Dew Baja Blast Cabo Citrus Zero Sugar Soda Pop: Experience DEW with a blast of natural & artificial Tropical Citrus Punch flavor
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- Experience the boldest flavors on earth with Mountain Dew Baja Blast Cabo Citrus Zero Sugar Soda Pop
- Can, bottle, or glass, it is always a good time for a DEW
When did the ad air, and who made it?
PepsiCo announced that the commercial would run in the first quarter of Super Bowl 50 on February 7, 2016, alongside the release of four new Kickstart flavors. The company described it as Mountain Dew’s first in-game Super Bowl ad in more than 15 years.
The One Club campaign record credits BBDO New York, with Pera and Wilhelmi as creative directors. It lists Wilhelmi as writer, Smith and Jones / London as the production company, and Ulf Johansson as director.
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