Target Creates Festival Lookalike in Los Angeles for TV Commercial

A certain notorious mainstay of the Gilroy Garlic Festival, garlic ice cream, has become the star of a humorous new commercial from the retail giant, Target.

The ad features a couple enjoying the iconic treat at a festival. When one of them raises a brow at the breath-altering flavor, the commercial flashes over to the store's special price for Trident gum three-packs through July 23.

The commercial came as a surprise to the festival's executive director, Brian Bowe, after fans from as far away as Florida began to comment about it on the festival's Facebook page.

"I had no idea, but we've been getting tons of calls and comments about it," Bowe said. "My mother called me to say that she was rolling on the floor laughing."

According to a Target spokeswoman, the commercial was shot on a set in Los Angeles and was not directly based on Gilroy's world-famous event.

"Target’s 'Garlic Festival' spot was loosely inspired by garlic festivals that take place around the country—not specifically the one in Gilroy, CA," said company spokeswoman Jessica Carlson.

Yet as Bowe was busy putting the finishing touches on festival preparations before it opens to the public from July 29-31, the connection to Gilroy's event was tangible.

"The timing of this couldn't be better," he said.