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Venables Bell & Partners launched a new spot for Audi featuring one epic “Duel” playing out in reverse.
The spot opens with “Vote” and “2016” buttons on the ground at some kind of elegant gala, with broken glass strewn about the scene. As the action proceeds in reverse a man and a woman rise from the floor and through the glass ceiling they’ve clearly just fallen through. From there a hard fought battle proceeds in reverse, with the device used to generate interest and add suspense to the reveal of the duel’s origins.
The clever concept of the ad would feel cheap and hollow had it been poorly executed, but it’s quite the opposite. If anything, the perfectly executed production, courtesy of Hollywood veterans like director Ringan Ledwidge, production designer K.K. Barrett (Her, Adaptation, Lost in Translation), cinematographer Greig Fraser (Foxcatcher, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story) and stunt choreographer Robert Alonzo (Deadpool, Tomorrowland, Oblivion) is what makes the spot work.
In addition to a reveal which champions the brand while somehow avoiding seeming as over-the-top as it should, the conclusion of the spot also manages to appeal to supporters of any presidential candidate with the line, “Choose the next driver wisely.” The ad, of course, will make its broadcast debut during coverage of the presidential debate tonight. It will also run during the two subsequent scheduled debates.
Credits:
Client Name: Audi of America
Brand: Audi
Spot Name: Duel
Air Dates: 9/26/16, 10/9/16, 10/19/16
Agency: Venables Bell & Partners
Founder, Chairman: Paul Venables
Partner, Executive Creative Director: Will McGinness
Creative Director: Justin Moore
Creative Director: Erich Pfeifer
ACD/Copywriter: Matt Keats
ACD/Art Director: Matt Miller
Director Of Integrated Production: Craig Allen
Senior Producer: Matt Flaker
Producer: Gabby Gardner
Production Company: Rattling Stick
Director: Ringan Ledwidge
Director of Photography: Greig Fraser
Head of Production: Richard McIntosh
Executive Producer: Joe Biggins
Executive Producer: Jeff Shupe
Line Producer: Greg Haggart
Stunt Coordinator: Robert Alonzo
Production Designer: K.K. Barrett
Editing Company: Work Editorial
Editor: Rich Orrick
Assistant Editor: Mike Horan
Executive Producer: Marlo Baird
Producer: Brandee Probasco
Music Company: Woodwork Music
Music Composer: Philip Kay
Music Coordinator: Andy Oskwarek
Sound Design/Final Mix: The Sound Lab at Technicolor
Executive Producer: Debbie Gonzalez
Lead Sound Designer/Mix Engineer: Scott Gershin
Sound Designer: Johannes Hammers
VFX: The Mill
Executive Creative Director: Phil Crowe
VFX Supervisor: John Shirley
CG Lead: David Lawson
VFX Senior Producer: Anastasia von Rahl
VFX Associate Producer: Karina Slater
Colorist: Greg Reese
Head Of Brand Management: David Corns
Brand Director: Chris Bergen
Brand Supervisor: Justin Wang
Brand Manager: Abu Ngauja
Project Managers: Talya Fisher, Leah Murphy
There’s one thing almost everyone watching Monday night’s first presidential debate will be able to agree on—that this new Audi commercial, “Duel,” airing during the telecast, is a brilliant bit of perfectly timed entertainment.
“You think things are gonna stay the same, then one day, boom, 25 million hits in two days.”
The Tyrannosaurus Rex is real. And we have ruined his life by teasing him, en masse and without shame, over his useless little arms. “I became a laughingstock,” our friend laments. (To be fair, we thought he was extinct, but maybe that’s a callous excuse.) “I lost the lust for life that I had. I just couldn’t go out anymore.”
This unexpected heartbreaker of an ad goes on to explore the depths of T-Rex’s debilitating depression. He stares dejectedly out the window and spends all his time in bed. Sports don’t help, and basic homemaking is just too difficult. His pillows are covered in deep slashes, like the shredded portrait of the bereft prince in Disney’s Beauty and the Beast.
If you fancy hanging out in the sizzling-hot middle of nowhere, with an endless expanse of sand all around and the occasional scorpion scuttling by for distraction, Audi’s got the promotion for you.
As part of its Emmy Awards sponsorship, the auto brand and Airbnb will offer fans the chance to book three-day getaways at the luxury Rondolino Residence in Death Valley, Nevada. The place is so isolated, it has no actual address—just coordinates on a map.
Guests get to drive a 2017 Audi R8 during their stay, which also includes chauffeur service from the airport, meals prepared by a personal chef and, according to press materials, “evening entertainment/activities.” (Scorpion races, perhaps?)
To tout the promo, Venables Bell & Partners created the fun spot below—it almost feels like a Supwer Bowl ad—which is running online and will also air during ABC’s Emmys telecast on Sunday.
Contrary to tips we’ve received, Audi’s creative business is not in review.
Audi did, however, launch an unannounced review late last year for sports marketing and experiential work. That review concluded with Audi naming New York-based LeadDog as its experiential and sports marketing agency of record. LeadDog’s client roster also includes NASCAR, ABC, Chipotle, Intel, WWE, Amtrak and Odwalla.
Audi’s general creative account was not part of the review and VB&P remains the brand’s creative agency of record. A company spokesperson writes, “An experiential review was conducted last year and Lead Dog is our agency of record for experiential. The review did not affect VBP’s scope of work.”
VB&P’s recent work for the client includes a March “Rock and Roll” spot set to The Stooges’ “Search and Destroy” and a Super Bowl effort comparing a ride in the Audi R8 V10 to a space launch, set to David Bowie‘s “Starman.”
LeadDog published a tumblr post on the new business in February, but the client never made it official. Since winning the review, LeadDog has worked on several projects for Audi, chief among them the carmaker’s partnership with Major League Soccer.
A new hybrid-electric Audi is just like that time Bob Dylan shocked audiences by playing an electric guitar at the Newport Folk Festival, says Audi.
This new video from the automaker, a sponsor of the 2015 festival, interviews a mix of historical figures, like documentarian Murray Lerner, and modern musicians, like Courtney Barnett, Jim James of My Morning Jacket, and Colin Meloy of The Decemberists—artists who were part of the lineup at Newport this summer, which celebrated the 50th anniversary of famous Dylan’s 1965 show.
So, what exactly are the differences between a Fender Stratocaster and an Audi A3 Sportback e-tron, you might ask? It doesn’t matter, because when you’re driving around in your sweet $40,000 car, you’ll feel like a pioneer and a rebel cranking out creamy licks on your finely tuned instrument.
It also may be worth noting that while it’s widely believed audiences booed Dylan’s decision to go electric, that account is also disputed—other theories include that crowds were upset by bad sound quality, or the shortness of his set. But that’s nowhere near as good a story.
To be fair, the clip does include some charming rumination on music and its evolution. But the implicit message—”Don’t hate progress. Buy an Audi”—isn’t the most compelling song. Especially when other car marketers are making the case that fuel-efficient alternates can literally run on cow crap.
CREDITS
Client: Audi
Spot: “Plugging In”
Executive Producer: Joseph Assad
Director: Phil Pinto
Narration: ?Holly Laessig
Agency: PMK•BNC/Vowel
Production Company: One Thousand Percent
Producer: Tyler Byrne, Kristopher Rey-Talley & Rebecca Assing
Director of Photography: Sam Wootton
2nd Unit Director: Antonio Santos
Associate Producer: Victoria Lada
Editorial: One Thousand Percent
Editor: David Yoonha Park & Ryan Dickie
Post Producer: Kristopher Rey-Talley
VFX Company: Motion Atelier
Nuke Artist: Paulo Dias
Titles/Graphics: Wax Magazine
Animation: Konrad & Paul
Sound Designer: Colin Alexander
Mixer: Greg Tobler
Volkswagen Group, which includes Audi and Porsche, has become the latest advertiser to launch a global media review. VW Group spent about $605 million in U.S. measured media in 2014, according to Kantar Media.
The review is still in its opening stages, with VW Group having reached out to holding companies, and it is unclear if incumbent Mediacom, who has worked with VW Group since 1998, will defend. Volkswagen Group’s decision to launch a global media review follows on the heels of a slew of advertisers launching similar reviews. BASF and GoDaddy launched their own global media review earlier this week, while P&G launched a North American media review a week ago and Norwegian Cruise Line launched a creative and media review in early April. SC Johnson, meanwhile, consolidated its media buying account with PHD following a media review open only to roster shops.
Audi Ireland has decided to directly address the stereotype that women are bad drivers in a Twitter campaign that aims to undermine that perception.
The automaker last week posted a series of images that appeared to make fun of women drivers—including scenes of poorly parked cars and men in passenger seats looking terrified. The tweets were tagged #womendrivers.
But the tweets also contained links, and it turned out they pointed to stories of women being real drivers in fields like technology, science and sports.
If a woman wants to drive… don’t stand in her way! #womendrivers #fail #audi http://t.co/NmIe4yd8i9 pic.twitter.com/3Aouhz6ekU
— Audi Ireland (@audiireland) April 27, 2015
Nice job, lady! Check out these #womendrivers #audi #funny http://t.co/EqS8q8Nj4a pic.twitter.com/WxjZs3On14
— Audi Ireland (@audiireland) April 27, 2015
It’s an interesting idea, and a bit surprising that an automaker would even tackle an issue with such obvious pitfalls. The problem, as some have pointed out, is that you have to actually click on the links to realize Audi isn’t just being negative and weird. (The automaker has been posting an explanatory video on Twitter, too, though of course it’s easy to miss individual tweets.)
So, is a campaign like this clever, or maybe not such a good idea after all?
Agency: Atomic, Dublin. Via Design Taxi.
Driving Miss Ditsy. Check out these #crazy #womendrivers #audi http://t.co/Od9BwnTY1e pic.twitter.com/EDFOwueSaW
— Audi Ireland (@audiireland) April 29, 2015
Crazy women drivers! You’ll never guess what happened next!!! #funny #audi #womendrivers http://t.co/Ac2NI3v0xs pic.twitter.com/Yuomy5LeQa
— Audi Ireland (@audiireland) April 29, 2015
Watch out! Women driving! #womendrivers #audi #toofunny http://t.co/XTaYXGcU2v pic.twitter.com/GwpGgIIlsd
— Audi Ireland (@audiireland) April 28, 2015
Caution women behind the wheel!! #funnystuff #audi #womendrivers http://t.co/rGb07YF6MS pic.twitter.com/fEXODIBUdC
— Audi Ireland (@audiireland) April 28, 2015
With Avengers: Age of Ultron almost upon us, the Marvel cross-marketing blitz–which already includes partners like Target, Dr. Pepper and Kellogg’s–is only getting started.
Longtime partner Audi, though, is taking a different route. Tony Stark’s automaker of choice, which will see the inclusion of the 2016 Audi R8, 2015 TTS and 2015 A3 Cabriolet vehicles in Ultron, has teamed with PMK*BNC (the PR-first agency perhaps best known to us for last year’s Breaking Bad Emmy promo) to unveil a two-minute short directed by well-known comic book geek Kevin Smith.
Most importantly, the campaign allowed the guy who made Chasing Amy to work with his hero Stan Lee, (along with a few other familiar faces).
Smith, who owns real-world comic book store Jay and Silent Bob’s Secret Stash and hosts AMC’s Comic Book Men, has found the perfect outlet to mark his first time directing an ad with “Stan Lee Cameo School.” Playing on Lee’s penchant for making cameo appearances in Marvel films (not to mention Smith’s own Mallrats), the clip also features the likes of Smith’s constant foil Jason Mewes, Sharknado 2‘s own Tara Reid, Mallrats co-star Michael Rooker and the original Hulk, Lou Ferrigno, who pays homage to his early ’80s show at the end.
In the midst of the marketing onslaught of Ultron, this one offers some B-List geek fun along with its relatively subtle branding.
Title: “Stan Lee Cameo School feat. Kevin Smith, Tara Reid, Michael Rooker, Jason Mewes and Lou Ferrigno”
Hashtags: #Avengers #AgeOfUltron
Audi Twitter Handle: @Audi
Starring: Stan Lee, Kevin Smith, Michael Rooker, Tara Reid with cameos by: Lou Ferrigno, Jason Mewes and the Audi S8
Executive Producer: Kim Dellara
Director: Kevin Smith
Producer: Adrianne McCurrach
Innovative products deserve advertising that itself is innovative—embodying the promise of what’s for sale in the way it’s being sold. This Audi campaign from German agency thjnk does a nice job of that.
The Audi A7 Sportback h-tron uses a fuel cell coupled with a hybrid battery and additional electric motor in the rear. Notably, nothing but water vapor comes out of the exhaust. And so, Audi created billboards that similarly leave nothing behind.
It’s clever and intriguingly produced, though it’s not quite clear how the effect in achieved. In any case, it’s perhaps most reminiscent of 2012’s “Invisible Car” campaign for Mercedes, which also promoted zero-emission fuel-cell technology—by draping the car with an LED “costume” that made it look invisible.
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Fusing modern innovation with old-school cinematic effect, Venables Bell & Partners launched a new campaign for Audi which emphasizes the “advanced technology” of the automaker’s A6 model.
For movie buffs, VB&P’s national ad was directly inspired by Alfred Hitchcock’s 1963 suspense/horror classic The Birds — only now, the villainous creatures have been reconfigured for today’s world.
In a statement, Audi of America director of marketing Loren Angelo writes:
“Audi doesn’t use technology for the sake of technology. As a brand, we’ve committed to bringing to market technologies that truly serve a purpose for the driver. The new spots demonstrate how intuitive and intelligent Audi A6 is, but also how accessible the technology can be.”
Along with the national spot, we have a more low-key, regional part of the “Challenge All Givens” campaign (below) featuring a father and daughter trying to bond with the aid of social media in their Audi A6, (which touts advanced in-vehicle technology).
As part of the tech-centric campaign, Audi will also roll out free WiFi service in select airports across the country beginning March 30.
Audi “Drones”
Agency: Venables Bell & Partners
Founder, Chairman: Paul Venables
ECD: Will McGinness
Creative Director: Tyler Hampton, Lee Einhorn
Art Director: Greg Wyatt, Byron Del Rosario
Copywriter: Bryan Karr
Director of Integrated Production: Craig Allen
Executive Producer: Mandi Holdorf
Producer: Hannah Murray
Acct Director: Justin Pitcher
Acct Manager: Oliver Glenn
Prod Company: MJZ
Director: Dante Ariola
DP: Matthew Libatique
Executive Producer: Scott Howard
Line Producer: Natalie Hill
Editorial: Rock Paper Scissors
Editor: Adam Pertrofsky
Asst Editor: Marjorie Sacks
Executive Producer: Angela Dorian
Producer: Shada Shariatzadeh
VFX: The Mill
VFX Supervisor, 2D Lead: Gareth Parr
VFX Supervisor, 3D Lead: Simon Brown
Creative Director: John Leonti
Executive Producer: Enca Kaul
Producer: Chris Harlowe
Production Coordinator: Karina Ford
Music: Elias Arts
ECD: Vinnie LoRusso
CD: Mike Goldstein
EP: Vicki Ordeshook
Head of Production: Katie Overcash
Sound Design: Brian Emrich, Trinitite
Mix: Loren Silber, Lime Studios
Audi “Teenager” TV Credits
Spot title: “Teenager”
Client: Audi
Air Date: 3.4.15
Agency: Venables Bell & Partners
Founder, Chairman: Paul Venables
ECD: Will McGinness
Creative Director: Tyler Hampton, Lee Einhorn
Art Director: Byron Del Rosario
Copywriter: Meredith Karr
Director of Integrated Production: Craig Allen
Executive Producer: Mandi Holdorf
Producer: Hannah Murray
Acct Director: Justin Pitcher
Acct Manager: Oliver Glenn
Prod Company: MJZ
Director: Dante Ariola
DP: Matthew Libatique
Executive Producer: Scott Howard
Line Producer: Natalie Hill
Editorial: Rock Paper Scissors
Editor: Adam Pertrofsky
Asst Editor: Marjorie Sacks
Executive Producer: Angela Dorian
Producer: Shada Shariatzadeh
VFX: The Mill
VFX Supervisor, 2D Lead: Gareth Parr
VFX Supervisor, 3D Lead: Simon Brown
Creative Director: John Leonti
Executive Producer: Enca Kaul
Producer: Chris Harlowe
Production Coordinator: Karina Ford
Music: Elias Arts
ECD: Vinnie LoRusso
CD: Mike Goldstein
EP: Vicki Ordeshook
Head of Production: Katie Overcash
Mix: Sam Casas, Lime Studios
Berlin-based Thjnk launched a new spot for Audi, reminding viewersof the importance of going to an Audi dealer instead of a random mechanic.
To do so, the agency makes said mechanics seem downright frightening. The spot opens on a mechanic as he sees a lone Audi driving down a desolate road. Soon the car’s “Service due” light goes on and another mechanic perks up. As the car drives on more and more mechanics emerge, until there’s a zombie-like army chasing the car, which makes it into the Audi dealership just in time, ending with the tagline, “Don’t let your Audi fall into the wrong hands.”
The spot, directed by Sebastian Strasser of Radical Media, does a good job of building atmosphere and mimicking the pacing and feel of a horror movie. Intentionally over-the-top, the ad aims not for the typical message of superior service, but “…the monumental showcasing of the eternal struggle between good and evil,” the agency said in a statement. If that sounds like a bit too much, there is something of a self-awareness to the approach, as Thjnk and Audi seem to be in on the joke.
Credits:
Client: Audi
Title: “Mechanics”
Agency: Thjink Berlin GmbH
Executive Creative Director: Stefan Schulte
Creative Director: Siyamak Seyedasgari
Account: Nicole Bierwolf, Hendrik Heine
Director: Sebastian Strasser
Production Company: RadicalMedia berlin
dop: Roman Vasyanov
Producer: Christoph Petzenhauser, Kathy Rhodes, Yan Schoenefeld
Casting: Julia Kim (US), Francesca Green (UK)
Editor: Paul Hardcastle, Trim Editing
Colorist: George K, MPC London
Score: Robert Cairns
VFX: Time Based Arts, London
VFX Supervisor: James Allen
VFX Lead Artists: James Allen, Sheldon Gardner, Steven Grasso
Last week, Trojan took the piss out of the BDSM-light hype around Fifty Shades of Grey. And now Audi is joining the party with a new parody ad.
Saturday Night Live’s Vanessa Bayer stars as a try-hard version of the book-cum-movie’s protagonist, Anastasia Steele. The spot, created with Venables Bell & Partners, mimics the famous scene in the elevator, where Christian Grey kisses Anastasia for the first time. But Bayer brings along a collection of sex toys and makes clumsy come-ons to anyone and everyone who happens along (kind of like she’s been eating too many Red Velvet Oreos).
The interplay between Bayer and her victims is pretty hilarious—tightly written and perfectly delivered. And while the brand tie-in might feel tacked on, it isn’t really.
Audi lucked into the storyline of the novel. Grey is an enthusiast, and gives Steele one as a gift. The automaker bought into the movie as well, with a product placement deal for five different cars. It’s juicing the connection—a separate German ad hawking the Audi R8 Spyder treats Grey like a sex symbol on par with George Clooney.
Given the official connection, Audi might get more credit than Trojan for poking fun at the movie—though both seem to be trying to make audiences feel better about being inept at bondage. Or maybe it’s making like the lead actors and hedging against what they apparently think will be a dud film.
Regardless, Audi certainly deserves points for bravery. Try to keep a straight face when Bayer starts twirling a set of Ben Wa balls around her finger. She can barely keep from laughing, too.
This Audi spot from Venables Bell & Partners presents a pint-sized rebel with a full tummy who’s eager to cannonball into a pool even though a sign clearly says, “Wait one hour to swim after eating.”
Will he or won’t he? What’s your guess, people?
The spot morphs into an engaging slice of excess that delivers on its premise with good-natured absurdity and considerable charm. (Audi is sitting out the Super Bowl this year, for the first time in seven years, but it’s not inconceivable that this ad might have been under consideration for Big Game play at some point.)
Of course, lots of brands, particularly automakers, like to position themselves as great fits for iconoclasts. That’s how this spot rolls, but it doesn’t take itself too seriously.
After all, Audi—the Volkswagen-owned luxury brand—usually isn’t top of mind among folks who like to swim against the tide. (A rebuilt ’68 Mustang is a whole other story.) And disobeying a sign at a public pool isn’t all that rebellious, is it? (There’s some extra irony when the message “The world is full of rules. Be the exception” flashes on screen at the same time small type cautions viewers to “Always obey speed and traffic laws.”)
The kid will probably grow up toiling in a cube just to keep up the payments on his Audi A7. At least he can look back fondly on that time at the pool when he made a big splash.
Vender seu carro pode ser uma tarefa frustrante, principalmente na hora de fazer uma avaliação de quanto ele vale e ter que ouvir uma oferta muito menor do que se esperava.
A Audi criou uma ação para pular esse processo. Não que isso evite a decepção financeira, mas pelo menos facilita a vida do motorista, ao mesmo tempo que incentiva a troca por um novo.
Um avaliador da marca registrou informações e valores estimados de carros que estavam em estacionamentos VIP’s (é, isso existe) de shoppings, tudo colocado em um RFID e preso no vidro traseiro.
Quando o motorista saia do local, um painel do lado da cancela exibia as informações personalizadas de seu veículo, e quanto seria o valor da parcela na troca por um Audi A3 Sportback 2014.
A criação é da AlmapBBDO.
Post originalmente publicado no Brainstorm #9
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From the peanut gallery at Reddit comes this amusing, fake Audi ad that plays off the four-rings snafu during the Opening Ceremony of the Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia. An Audi rep confirms to Mashable: "This is not an official ad … it is most likely from an Audi fan." At least one other brand, though, did make fun of the technical glitch for real.
Hat tip: @arrrzzz.
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Audi's 2014 Super Bowl ad, like the mutant animal it imagines, is a bit of an odd beast.
Following two teasers, the automaker on Monday released the full spot, from Venables Bell & Partners and director Noam Murro. It features a man and woman looking in a pet store for the perfect dog. When they can't choose between a Chihuahua and a Doberman Pinscher, the store suggests they get both—a blended "Doberhuahua" breed. Sounds like a fine plan, until things go awry (in the couple's imagination, at least) and a pack of Doberhuahuas begins to chew up an entire city.
Turns out the whole point is not to compromise. "The all-new Audi A3. Designed without compromise," says the on-screen text at the end. (The couple end up not compromising by choosing a not-lethal mutt from a rescue shelter.)
The visuals in the ad are certainly amusing, and a Doberhuahua attacking Sarah McLachlan's guitar is a welcome sight. But it seems like a bit of a roundabout way to get to a message—#StayUncompromised—that could apply to almost anything.
Last year's "Prom" spot had a similarly vague message—"Bravery. It's what defines us"—but was well liked because of the winning storyline. This year's plot crosses over into such absurdism that the message about not compromising feels like a disconnect. (And speaking of crossing over, combining two animals to make a new one, in a car commercial, could make you expect a message about a crossover or a hybrid—and the A3 is neither.)
Dogs, violence and Sarah McLachlan. Like the Doberhuahua itself, it's an odd combination.
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A Audi ganhou o prêmio de impaciente do ano e é a primeira a revelar seu comercial na íntegra para o Super Bowl, que acontece no próximo domingo, 2 de fevereiro.
No filme a marca mostra que prefere não fazer concessões de design, evitando assim criar aberrações. O conceito é representado por um assustador Doberhuahua, cruzamento de um Doberman com Chihuahua. Uma cabeça gigante em um corpo minúsculo.
Não consegue o impacto do comercial do ano passado, mas diverte, e fica melhor ainda com a decisão do casal de não mais comprar um cachorro, e sim adotar.
A criação é da Venables Bell + Partners.
Post originalmente publicado no Brainstorm #9
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