Subaru’s “Memory Lane” ad from Carmichael Lynch, with the hippie grandma teaching her granddaughter to love nature, has been out for more than a month. But it’s still airing, and is one of the more remarkable ads of the year—a spot that manages to both embrace and make fun of the brand’s persistent stereotypes, in a way that’s utterly charming.

The ad, which takes place on a road trip to Woodstock, memorably ends with three generations of the same family literally hugging a tree—with the parents, who can’t quite believe what’s happening, hilariously stuck between the enduring idealism of the grandmother and the wide-eyed innocence of the granddaughter.

“They’re hugging the tree,” the mother says, watching from the car, in the scene before. (The spot is nothing if not self-aware.) The father, meanwhile, can’t even muster that much commentary at the end, so bewildered is he by his mother’s clichéd behavior.

It’s a great little story, perfectly written, acted and directed (by Lance Acord of Park Pictures). But it wasn’t without its risks. After all, directly addressing the brand’s reputation as a car made for tree huggers—a pretty loaded term—can be dicey.

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