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Zumbrota Car Dealership Commercial Featured On 'Last Week Tonight'

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- A Zumbrota car dealership has gotten some national attention after being featured on "Last Week Tonight with John Oliver."

On Sunday, the HBO show released a digital update to a previous segment on local car commercials, which addressed how some of them look "suspiciously familiar."

As part of that previous segment, the show offered a script of its own for a car dealership to make -- as long as they agreed to make it without having read the script.

A Minnesota car dealership took up the challenge: Zumbrota Ford.

In the update, John Oliver says the dealership "threw themselves at the source material," which features a marriage in peril.

The commercial begins with a married couple arguing inside their home.

Zumbrota Car Commercial
(credit: Zumbrota Ford)


"Ever since we bought that all-wheel drive minivan from Zumbrota Ford, you've changed," the husband said.

"Maybe I have, maybe I changed the minute I put my hands on the wheel of that new minivan," the wife responded.

After the vehicle-related spat, the commercial ends with Steve Johnson, founder of Zumbrota Ford, in a pickle costume.

"Couples therapy? Shmuples therapy! A new car is what you want," Johnson said.

Oliver ended the segment by thanking the dealership.

We have some SUPER EXCITING news!!???????? We get to share our commercial with you all that was created with the John Oliver...

Posted by Zumbrota Ford, Dealer For The People on Monday, October 18, 2021

"My congratulations and heartfelt thanks to the people of Zumbrota Ford," Oliver said. "We put you in a pickle, and you did something that truly made me feel like my heart was going to explode."

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