A car dealership in Minnesota recently attempted to film a commercial at a hockey rink. The ad for White Bear Mitsubishi stars the dealership's mascot, a giant white bear. The only problem? It seems bears (or at least guys in bear suits) aren't quite cut out for life on the ice.
In the ad, the dealership's general manager, Richard Herod III, is joined by the bear mascot as well as the University of Minnesota hockey team's Goldy Gopher. And while Goldy is clearly well-rehearsed at antics on the ice, his fellow mascot can't seem to get his footing. In a series of hilarious outtakes, the bear tries, and fails miserably, to remain upright. The crew cracks up as take after take, the bear loses his balance and topples backwards on the ice.
Herod says the dealership and advertising company they worked with quickly realized that they had comedy gold when employees couldn't stop laughing at the blooper reel.
"We'd get to the end and people were like drinking sodas and spitting them out," Herod said.
White Bear published the video on Facebook and it has since been viewed over 2.5 million times, a number that ballooned after singer Bette Midler shared it last week.
Herod says at the time, they had no idea the video would go viral.
"While this was happening we were just trying to get through the shoot," said Herod. "We were having fun, but I don't know if he was."
Finally, the crew seems to get through a final take without mishap. The bear stands precariously still as Goldy dashes into the shot on skates.
But in one last insult, when they finally nail it, Herod gives the bear a friendly pat on the back, only for him to fall flat on his face.
"I barely touched the bear's back and all of a sudden he just did this huge face plant," said Herod.
Luckily, the actor playing the bear wasn't hurt – except for maybe his pride.
