Toyota and its Highlander SUV are not going out without a fight. Recently changing its exterior from bland to now decidedly ugly as well as upgrading its innards, Toyota wishes to further push its Highlander to greater heights by getting it into the high-priced Super Bowl ad game.

The 2014 Super Bowl ratings will likely not be as high as last year; Ray Lewis won’t be playing his final game, and Beyonce won’t be performing at half-time– but it is a guarantee that close to one hundred million people will be watching, which makes this a major debut for the new Highlander.

To even further seal the deal, Toyota announced that Highlander is going the way of Thanksgiving Lady Gaga by enlisting The Muppets’ to help promote their product during one of America’s biggest holidays.

The Muppets, never having to worry about losing their place in America’s hearts, have generously agreed to grace the Highlander’s presence as long as Damon Terry Crews and his jumping pec muscles promise to join in on the fun.

The theme of the new Toyota Highlander is to accentuate fun over its obviously strange look, and the Super Bowl ad will focus on this. The commercial involves Terry Crews driving the SUV with a guest appearance from the piano player virtuoso of the Muppet clan, Rowlf the Dog. To quote Walt Disney vice president Don Gross, “The Muppets’ classic mix of high energy and heart matches perfectly with Toyota’s spirit of adventure, and Kermit, Gonzo and the whole gang look forward to many zany road trips.” This will be the first Toyota collaboration, and there will possibly be more from the sound of it.

Besides musical collaborations with the likes of Cee Lo, Gwyneth Paltrow and even Alice Cooper back in 1978, the Muppets have upped the awesomeness of the National Hockey League, the New York City traveling organization, IBM and more.

Check out the trailers here:

and be sure to check out the Super Bowl for the sole purpose of catching this commercial.

Image via Youtube