Last November, Audi selected 72andSunny Amsterdam to handle a global brand campaign redefining the luxury carmaker. That campaign will kick off with a 60-second Super Bowl ad promoting the Audi e-tron Sportback, part of a new line of electric vehicles. The ad features Game of Thrones star Maisie Williams singing the ubiquitous “Let It Go”…
There are times when a concept is so obvious, you have to run with it. Such is the case with Hyundai and its longtime agency Innocean for this year’s Super Bowl. Featuring the new, redesigned 2020 Sonata, the carmaker focuses on one key feature in its ad: Remote Smart Parking Assist. But the shorthand for…
The last time Porsche made an appearance in the Super Bowl was 1997. At the time, the German automaker touted the fact that its Boxster sports car was handmade, instead of pieced together by robots. Created by Goodby Silverstein & Partners, it felt like a classic car ad until the delightful punchline. Twenty-three years later,…
The North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) in Detroit has been a launching pad for automakers to announce new vehicles and product innovations for more than three decades. But recently, the influential auto industry event, known for kicking off the global show circuit every January, has seen a slowdown in engagement. In 2019, the show…
LAS VEGAS–Faraday Future has been a consistent presence at the Consumer Electronics Show over the past five years. Founded in 2014, the luxury electric automaker unveiled the FFZero concept car in 2016 and its all-electric FF91 in 2017, but has faced an uphill climb getting those vehicles on the road and into the hands of…
On Dec. 18, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles N.V. and Peugeot S.A. (also known as Groupe PSA), made automotive history by agreeing to a binding 50-50 merger of their businesses that’ll wind up becoming a massive $50 billion international car conglomerate (the third largest by revenue in the industry and the fourth largest by volume). The merged…
The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part, Spider-Man: Far From Home, The Secret Life of Pets 2, Frozen 2, Happy Death Day 2U. In 2019, nearly every contemporary franchise got the sequel treatment, either wished for or bemoaned by fans of the original. And now, at the tail-end of this whacky year of box office…
Former Hyundai and Subaru of America CMO Dean Evans has joined Cars.com as executive vice president. The automotive website added Evans to its roster in late October, reporting to president and CEO Alex Vetter. According to a press release, Evans will help the site “develop and bring cutting-edge marketing solutions to dealers and automakers to…
It took only the weekend for Hyundai Motor America to find its new CMO. The carmaker announced today that it would be replacing Dean Evans, who stepped down on Friday, with Angela Zepeda. Zepeda comes from Hyundai’s agency of record, Innocean USA, where she served as senior vice president and managing director, handling all of…
Online car marketplace Autotrader is banking on humor to spruce up its messaging in a campaign out of 72andSunny New York, which took the reins of the account earlier this year. The campaign was directed by Derek Waters, the creator of Comedy Central’s Drunk History. In the 30-second spot, viewers are taken back to 750…
Le typographe et illustrateur anglais Chris Labrooy nous propose cette nouvelle série de créations 3D appelée « Auto Aerobics ». Ce dernier réinvente les voitures pour les imbriquer les unes avec les autres, pour un rendu étrange et surprenant. Plus d’images sur son portfolio et dans la suite de l’article.
Avec cette série appelée « Auto Fire », le photographe polonais Pawe? Fabja?ski cherche à mettre en images l’incertitude. Une série de clichés et portraits de trentenaires faisant le bilan de leur vie. Des photographies et mise en scènes très réussies, qui sont à découvrir dans la suite de l’article.
Voici les premières images par Peugeot avec son nouveau concept-car, Onyx, une voiture sportive hybride et futuriste. Elle est dotée d’une coque en fibre de carbone, et son habitacle possède un aileron arrière rétractable. Le concept est également décliné en un Concept Scooter Onyx et Concept Bike Onyx.
Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the past couple of days, you’re well aware of GM’s bankruptcy protection filing. To assuage the buying public, GM has unveiled a commercial explaining “the new GM,” guaranteeing a leaner, greener company that makes better cars than ever before.
I’m all for corporate transparency, but I have to wonder if the “Reinvention” spot is enough to save the troubled automaker. I think it’s safe to say that public distrust in the automotive industry as a whole is high – especially when auto officials are arriving in private jets to beg the federal government for bailout money.
How does this spot bode for the future of automotive advertising? Is it enough to entice consumers to buy American again?
I think it’s a step in the right direction, but I also think that it signals a change in the way automakers and dealerships place their ad buys. Existing on a campaign of print and broadcast is not enough anymore. If companies want to win the automotive war, they need to regain credibility with the public by actively engaging them. After all, you have to at least shake someone’s hand before you reach for their wallet.
Sara Barton is a copywriter, social media strategist, and avid blogger who is in search of her next opportunity. Contact her via twitter, LinkedIn, or her blog.
Subaru has been making a fairly large push lately for their Forrester, and one of the cornerstones of the messaging push is the fact that the Forrester is sexy. While my allegiances to European auto runs strong and I’ve never been particularly blown away by Subaru, this Subaru Canada spot from DDB Toronto is doing a good deal to change my opinion.
With a soundtrack from Electric Six, the spot is bizarrely beautiful and oddly humorous. I’ll be chuckling for the rest of the day. I suppose my opinion of Subaru (based primarily on advertising) is beginning to shift for the better.
After a long hiatus from the movie theaters for no good reason, I’ve returned, seeing several pre-summer blockbusters in the past few weeks. One thing, in particular, that’s stuck out in my mind has been a definitely noticable increase in ads, with a surprising number of auto makers pushing for my attention (albeit my attention is pretty much on the screen regardless).
As several articles I’ve been browsing through today point out, my perception of an increase in theater ads isn’t just my imagination. A pretty interesting AdAge article by Jean Halliday points out that movie theater ad sales are quickly rising across the board, capturing the attention of auto makers:
Screenvision’s revenue in the segment for the first half of 2008 is almost double what it was in the first half of 2007, said exec VP-sales and marketing Mike Chico, who said he expects to sell out 2008 inventory in the third quarter, which is unusual.
Which basically translates into more high profile ads showing up in theaters, and more interesting creative being done in longer formats, like the full :60 version of the Dodge Journey waterslide spot that’s been all over broadcast TV (in :30 form) of late.
So while part of me is tossin’ back the popcorn waiting impatiently for the movie to start, the other part of me is glad that big-budget advertisers (and the subsequent big-budget ads) are going to be showing up more and more in the theaters. Because while I’m a captive audience starting blankly at a mind-numbing screen, there might as well be something enjoyable for me to stare at.
BBH and GT have released the newest bit to the Audi RS6 Campaign I wrote about a few weeks back (with the gymnasts), this time in the form of an impressive microsite. In addition to showcasing the gymnastics ad, complete with a decent making-of video and downloadable wallpapers, it showcases the RS6 (as a good auto site should) in all it’s glory, and with a great interface. The audio, video, and navigation come together to create a pretty impressive microsite. Definitely worth a browse, even if you’re not a big automotive fan.
Has this happened to you? You’ve come up with a kick ass idea sold it to the account team and the client only to get to your production meeting and hear “and we’ve got the great set up for you†and see friggin’ lower grand. For the un-initiated it is the street in LA that has the crappy overhead florescent lighting and cut outs in the upper level. For some reason this combination is like catnip to production companies and auto advertisers alike. This is why I propose a ban on lower grand or at least a two year moratorium. Last time I checked there were over 5.5 million miles of paved road in the US. Find a new location already.  – Buie
Audi has been creating (or rather constructing) some fascinating spots lately, like the “strings” spot I wrote about a few months back.
This most recent spot from BBH London continues along the deconstruction & construction path, stylizing the internal workings of the Audi RS6 via Hugarian Gymnasts. Certainly not the first thing I would think of, but the suspension of reality and the acceptance of the gymnasts loosely representing the internals of an RS6 engine does something fairly powerful, and certainly creates an interesting spot.
So the ultimate question: do gymnastics, string figures, and automotive orchestras work to sell cars and change brand awareness? Or does it simply yield commercials that are interesting to watch?
There are just some ads that will never get old because they’re fun to watch, like this ad for Renault. Finally- a commercial that successfully incorporates the use of the high jump into the auto industry! At first, you don’t know what the heck this guy is doing- perhaps contemplating suicide by running out into the middle of traffic (it’s a wonder he didn’t get hit by a car), but then he gracefully jumps into his vehicle. I didn’t notice a “do not try this at home” disclaimer, but I still wouldn’t attempt it.
This is site is run by Sascha Endlicher, M.A., during ungodly late night hours. Wanna know more about him? Connect via Social Media by jumping to about.me/sascha.endlicher.
