This Super Bowl Ad Used VR To Let A Troop Watch The Game With Loved Ones

A lot of Super Bowl ads got political this year, but this one was a tearjerker.

Directly after the game, Hyundai pulled off a series of reunions between an American troop and their loved ones in an emotional 90-second spot with the help of “Patriots Day” director Peter Berg.

A few lucky soldiers caught the game with family and friends, who were seated at Houston’s NRG Stadium, thanks to custom 360-degree video pods that live-streamed immersive footage to their base in Poland. The ad was then cut together in a trailer outside the stadium during the game.

“Millions of people just watched the Super Bowl. Which wouldn’t be possible without our troops,” read a statement as the ad kicked off.

The three soldiers featured in the ad all have young children at home.

“The hardest thing about this deployment [is] you can’t really explain it too well, just ‘Daddy’s got to go to work again,’” Sgt. Richard Morrill said about leaving his wife and 4-year-old daughter, Hadley.

“It’s tough for him to understand because he’s used to me just being there,” said Spc. Erik Guerrero, who has a 2-year-old, Liam, and a fiancee at home. Cpl. Trista Strauch, who’s been away for four years, said “being away is pretty rough” and that she often worries about her son “growing up and missing daily things that he does.”

For a few minutes, anyway, they all got to be together for the biggest game of the year.

Catch the full ad above.