Hasta La Creative!

Car ads have disappointed me lately, so I was pleasantly surprised by this Fallon London spot for Skoda, which ranks as one of the more entertaining and memorable commercials in the category so far this year. (It avoids stalling on gooey sentimentality and hey-we-set-a-record! docudrama.) The awesomely realized one-joke spot shows various objects in a typical suburban neighborhood that have become outrageously big and powerful. These include a baby carriage that's more like a tricked-out moon-buggy; an ice-cream truck serving 2-foot-high cones; a lawnmower with eight cylinders; a jackhammer with mini-hammers to really grind up the pavement; a barbecue grill that's a cross between a UFO and a nuclear plant; and a kid's Big Wheel-type tricycle with wildly humongous wheels. Despite all the size and power on display, folks still stare open-mouthed at a dude tooling around in his high-performance Skoda Octavia vRS.

The action manages to be self-consciously silly but never stupid, because the souped-up stuff, while outlandish and cartoony, is nonetheless cool-looking and convincing. (Check out the "behind-the-scenes" clip below, which opens with a spoof commercial for the jet-powered, bomb-proof grill, and shows some of the impressive props being made.) The slogan, "It's not your everyday family car," is a bit weak, but I still got the message that this is one powerful Skoda, and it might just turn some heads on my boring old street. I'm sold … I'll take the grill! (And a chocolate cone with extra sprinkles, please.)

Skoda Roomster Road. They’ve never watched you like that.

Advertising Agency: Cayenne Italy
Creative Directors: Giandomenico Puglisi, Stefano Tumiatti
Art Director: Livio Gerosa
Copywriter: Caternia Calabrò
Photographer: Daniele Poli
Published: April 2008

Skoda Scout with DX Nexus Navigation System.

Advertising Agency: ROAD Barcelona, Spain
Creative Directors: Emilio Lezaun, Xavier Solé
Published: April 2008

You’ll never pass by it again.
Skoda Octavia with Satellite Navigation Colombos System.

Advertising Agency: ROAD Barcelona, Spain
Creative Directors: Emilio Lezaun, Xavier Solé
Photographer: Ramón Serrano
Published: April 2008

On dark and narrow lanes
being careful is your aim
make sure you’ve got lights
or with danger you’ll fight
riding your bike is lots of fun
up and down hill, out in the sun
but always remember good riders take care
do everything safely and are always aware.
Thinking of your child riding his bicycle, Skoda promotes Biciscuola. This school project teaches the rules on how to ride bicycles safely.
And for your child’s safety in your car, Skoda offers you ESP on all of its models.

Advertising Agency: Cayenne, Milan, Italy
Copywriter: Evelin Loprete
Art Director: Giorgio Tezza
Creative Directors: Giandomenico Puglisi, Stefano Tumiatti
Illustrators: Giovanni Ballarotti, Marco Marella

Just like an acrobat can play on the street
But you have to cycle by using your feet
Riding a bike is really fantastic
But if you’re not careful the results will be drastic.
Thinking of your child riding his bicycle, Skoda promotes Biciscuola. This school project teaches the rules on how to ride bicycles safely.
And for your child’s safety in your car, Skoda offers you ESP on all of its models.

Advertising Agency: Cayenne, Milan, Italy
Copywriter: Evelin Loprete
Art Director: Giorgio Tezza
Creative Directors: Giandomenico Puglisi, Stefano Tumiatti
Illustrators: Giovanni Ballarotti, Marco Marella