(February 1, 2016) Honda today offered a sneak peek of the brand's commercial for Super Bowl 50 starring the highly innovative 2017 Honda Ridgeline pickup, a wily herding dog and a flock of sheep singing a classic Queen song, "Somebody to Love."

Fans tuning in to Super Bowl 50 on Sunday will see the 60-second spot, "A New Truck to Love," during the third quarter.

Directed by Oscar-nominated director Bryan Buckley — dubbed "King of the Super Bowl" for his role in bringing to life more than 40 commercials for the big game — the new Honda commercial imagines how a rancher might use one of Ridgeline's available features, the industry's very first factory truck-bed audio system, enabling music to play outside the truck. This poses the question, "What if his sheep learned how to sing?" with the commercial showing the sheep being dropped off by the new Ridgeline and then performing the classic Queen hit after the rancher departs.

The spot signals not only Honda's return to the Super Bowl, but the return of the all-new Ridgeline to market. A pickup unlike any other, Ridgeline's innovative features include the available truck-bed audio system and the standard in-bed storage trunk and dual-action tailgate — all industry-exclusive features.

"Great Super Bowl spots are entertaining for the fans while communicating an essential value of the product, and we believe our Honda Ridgeline commercial accomplishes both objectives in dramatic fashion," said Jeff Conrad, senior vice president and general manager of the Honda Automobile Division.

"With so many truck buyers passionate about football, the big game is the perfect setting to introduce the all-new Ridgeline, and the distinctive features that make it the ultimate tailgating vehicle."

Acclaimed director Bryan Buckley was selected to bring this story to life, both for his experience in creating entertaining Super Bowl ads with a beautiful, cinematic feel and his ability to create the nuanced comedic tone Honda was seeking with this spot.

Created and produced by RPA, agency of record for Honda, "A New Truck to Love" was shot using real sheep and a trained sheep dog. The special effects were produced staying true to the anatomy and natural behavior of sheep. This included study of the movement of sheep's mouths to determine how their facial muscles might react while singing.

The Super Bowl spot kicks off a new multiplatform campaign that will effectively re-launch the Ridgeline truck, including activations across several platforms, screens and online properties. As part of the digital campaign, Honda will take over the ESPN and MSN home pages on Feb. 7 and Feb. 8. Short videos will be posted to Honda's social channels before and after the Super Bowl highlighting the truck's new features. A lead generation card will run on Twitter throughout February for users who would like to sign up for additional information on the all-new Ridgeline.

Unique to the Ridgeline campaign, and a first for the Honda brand for a new-vehicle launch, is the opportunity for consumers who request additional information on the new Ridgeline on www.campridgeline.com to enter a sweepstakes for a chance to win a trip to "Camp Ridgeline" — a ride-and-drive experience on May 21 at Rio Cibolo Ranch in San Antonio, Texas.

Ten sweepstakes winners will enjoy the three-day, two-night experience with a guest, to include round-trip coach-class airfare, hotel accommodations, meals and participation in the "Ride-and-Drive" Event. To enter and for full rules and details, visit: www.campridgeline.com