Nobody Messes with Junior in Freshpet Spot Starring Steve Schirripa

Freshpet, the fresh dog food brand, is launching a new campaign under its 'It’s Not Dog Food, It’s Food Food' platform, this time starring beloved Soprano’s star Steve Schirripa ('Bobby Bacala'), with cameos from Johnny 'Roastbeef' Williams (Goodfellas, The Mask, Green Book) and Robert Costanzo (Friends, Die Hard 2, Saturday Night Fever.) The dynamic trio delivers their classic, nostalgic charm to remind everyone that some things are worth joking about, and some things…are not. The work was created in partnership with Freshpet’s agency of record, independent shop Terri & Sandy and directed by Emmy-nominated Dan Opsal of Hungry Man, well-known for his run directing The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, among other accomplishments.

'My Boy Junior' made its debut during Netflix’ Christmas NFL games in :30 and :15-secod versions beginning at 1pm and again during the 4:30pm game. In the week following, the brand will launch a :60 version of the spot across social and digital, and continue its run of the :30 and :15 spots, nationally. The work marks the second celeb-inspired spot from the brand this year. This past April, Freshpet enlisted Megan Trainor for its campaign featuring an original-now-viral hit 'I’m a Dog Mom,' touting Megan’s love of dogs and the Freshpet brand.

Steve, an obsessive dog dad to his Dachshund Willie, who he only feeds Freshpet to in real life, was the ideal fit to star in the new work, reminding customers that their dog’s food is just as worthy of being in your fridge as anything else.

“We are always looking for new ways to highlight the emotional connection between pet parents and their dogs, with a touch of humour. Our latest commercial, 'My Boy Junior,' brings a fresh, more cinematic approach to this concept. Steve Schirripa was the perfect choice for this role given his prior TV work and his genuine love for his dog, Willie. He’s the ultimate dog dad, and we’re excited to welcome both Steve and Willie to the Freshpet family!” said Kate Crook, VP of marketing communications, Freshpet

“Freshpet is a dream client, and this was a dream project because it let us take our campaign to trunk-slamming extremes. And as a dog lover and verified ‘back-room boss,’ Steve Schirripa was literally perfect for the part. To top it off, we got to surround Steve with some of the world’s greatest character actors and pair them with a top-notch director, Dan Opsal, who absolutely nailed the vibe,” said Todd Condie, creative director at Terri & Sandy.