Well first of all, I'm sure it's actors. To me it's much like a short movie, especially given that it's over four and half minutes long. But the thing is it's written, shot and cast so well that it makes it believable unlike the Pepsi ad, and that's exactly why I was able to get into it enough that it made me emotional.
And yes, of course it's done for profit, but why is that always such a bad thing. The fact of the matter is in today's media charged world, commercial ads have an elevated level of influence on people's thoughts and opinions. This ad transports the viewer into situations where they can likely identify with one or multiple characters. Because the ad is written well and cast well, it's very believable and therefore the viewer easily becomes emotionally invested. By then taking that character with whom the viewer has identified and having them act in what might be a surprisingly positive fashion, the view too learns that such behavior is possible. Even if consciously the viewer knows these are actors and a scripted scene, the impact is still the same. There are actual studies that have proven this.
So I don't share the negative view of this ad. If a company is going to spend this kind of money on advertising either way, I'd rather they use it to deliver a positive, uplifting and believable message than spend it on hokey, celebrity or super-model laden gimmicks.
