Grab your tissues: Father's Day Budweiser commercial features Phoenix family

Budweiser commercials are known to pull at the heartstrings, and they didn't disappoint this Father's Day.

Arizona natives Mark and Victor Olivas were featured in a Budweiser commercial highlighting the relationships between stepfathers and their stepchildren.

The commercial, released online Wednesday, featured the families reminiscing on their time together. It took an emotional turn when each of the three children asked their fathers to legally adopt them.

"I wanted to actually ask you to legally adopt me. ... I think it'd be kind of like a beautiful, ceremonial thing," Victor said to Mark in the commercial, joking that he'd already been using the last name for a while.

Mark, who described the experience as surreal and nerve-wracking, was surprised and thrilled by the question.

"I'd talked about adoption with my wife, their mom, but I wanted it to be their decision, something for the kids to do," he said. 

Victor, who currently lives in Los Angeles, saw the casting call for stepfathers and their children in a Facebook group he was a part of. After a phone call, a Skype call and a meeting with the director, the gig was theirs.

They filmed in a Los Angeles bar just two weeks ago.

"It was just like you would think, with the makeup people and the lights," said Mark, who doesn't always enjoy the spotlight. 

The time on set was a great memory, but what came from the experience meant even more. 

"Letting him know, 'This is what I've always thought of you' ... got a little emotional," Victor said. "It was a thing that brought us even closer."

Budweiser is paying the adoption fees and helping the family file their legal documents.

MORE:Here's how to treat your dad right for Father's Day

In the commercial, the two reflect on the influence they've had on each other's lives.

"Watching Victor grow, watching the person that he's become, has been amazing," Mark said, choking up. "And to know that maybe I've had a little bit of influence on that has been awesome."

Mark told The Arizona Republic there isn't a Father's Day gift that can top what Victor did, saying it was the best gift he'll ever receive.  

The commercial ends with a call to action: If you have a stepfather who's stepped up, share your story. For each one, Budweiser will donate $1 to The Stepfamily Foundation, an organization that supports blended families.

Reach the reporter at maureen.bohannon@arizonarepublic.com and follow her on Twitter @molboha. 

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