As part of its first foray into the digital campaign medium, Aston Martin will release three new promotional videos, featuring the breathtaking Rapide four-door coupe. Filmed in Lisbon, Portugal, the video follows a group of “agents” commissioned by a mysterious person to deliver a precious package, without opening it. A very Ronin-ish plot, we know.
The introductory part is available after the jump, while the second and third clips will follow on January 19 and 26, respectively.
“We wanted to deliver a subtle but clever piece of branded entertainment. Something that mirrors the thrill of the drive. Intelligent, dramatic yet very exciting. It's an action-packed Aston Martin story in three parts, designed to entertain our audience. We're not hard selling, we're showcasing. After all it is the thinking man's (and woman's) performance car”, Film Director Donnie Masters from Serious Pictures said.
This here commercial for Dacia's low-cost Duster SUV is the work of Dutch advertising company Artcore. We should warn you that the ad is a 1 minute and 46 second parade of almost continuous swearing. While we can appreciate some over-the-top creations, we just can’t see this ever airing, at least not during daytime hours. But even if the commercial somehow made it on your TV set, we doubt that this is what Dacia wants to promote.
The commercial has been labeled as “banned” by various internet sources, but it seems to have been produced to showcase a radical idea, rather than to be purpose driven advertisement. The foul-mouthed clip is available right after the break.
Hyundai is banking on the latest film technologies to promote its new Azera sedan, at least on its home turf. The automaker released a new advertisement for the mid-size saloon, which is named Grandeur in its home market, in select 4-D and 3-D movie theaters in South Korea.
For the creation of the advertisement, Hyundai turned to the makers of the Avatar movie. Even though this is not evident in the 2-D version of the advert seen in the video below, the 4-D movie shown in theaters combined a 3-D film with special physical effects such as vibrating seats, wind and steam which occur in synchronization with the film.
We'll have to wait and see if Hyundai will make use of the 4-D commercial for the North American version of the car when it arrives in the market later this year.
In 1980, the world lost a cultural icon. Steve McQueen, the star of such films as Bullitt and Le Mans, had died. Metastatic cancer had claimed the life of the King of Cool.
Still, the legacy lives on. The actor’s love of cars and motorcycles was well known. McQueen competed in many motor races including the 12 Hours of Sebring and the Baja 1000. He also owned several semi-unique vehicles including a Jaguar XKSS, a Porsche 356 Speedster and a Ferrari 250 GT Berlinetta Lusso. Here was a man who loved his cars almost as much as we loved his movies.
Flash forward 25 years. In 2005, Ford released this ad for the fifth generation Ford Mustang. In it, a farmer carves a racetrack through his cornfield in a non-too-subtle nod to the 1989 film, Field of Dreams. As in that movie, “If you build it, he will come.”, and Steve McQueen magically appears out of the cornfield (looking pretty good for someone who’s been dead and buried for a quarter of a century) and takes the wheel of the Mustang for one last turn around the track.
Through the use of a body double and some nabbed footage, McQueen is there in the cornfield and behind the wheel. Even five years on the ad is pretty impressive from a purely technical standpoint. But don’t take my word for it! Watch it yourself and let us know what you think.
In what could very well be one of the most amusing automotive-related ads we've seen this year, this Volkswagen commercial from The Netherlands puts a surprisingly wild twist on the belief that old ladies take good care of their cars. The 50 second-long clip finishes with the tagline "Not every old lady is reliable as a Golf". Watch the video after the break.
Over the years, Mercedes-Benz has released many TV ads featuring two-time Formula 1 World Champion Mika Häkkinen and other renowned pilots, most ending with a funny twist. The Stuttgart-based automaker's latest commercial to hit the web, called “Sunday Driver”, follows a similar recipe. This time, Mercedes chose a hilarious way to promote its 4MATIC permanent all-wheel drive system. To shake things up, Michael Schumacher also makes an appearance, alongside a good-looking female driver.
We’ve also included the “Third man” commercial from a few years back, in which the “New Flying Finn” trumps the younger Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton. You can watch both videos after the jump.
Even though Suzuki had high hopes for the new Kizashi, sales of the sedan model haven't exactly blown the socks out of anyone this year. In fact, in the U.S., Suzuki has only managed to deliver a mere 5,269 units of the four-door saloon through November. Do the math and that comes to under 500 cars a month.
But the Japanese automaker isn't about to throw in the towel, not just yet. Marking one of its largest advertising campaigns in years, Suzuki has launched an ambition set of edgy ads pitting the Kizashi against similar sized models in the luxury segment such as the Mercedes-Benz C350, Audi A4 and the Volvo S40.
In each case, the Kizashi is shown in a side-by-side test with one of the aforementioned models plus an outsider, and by that we mean a motorized sofa, a man covered in a bubble-wrap suit and a stretch limousine. Well, you can't blame Suzuki for not having a sense of humor. Scroll down to watch all three ads in the videos below.
What woman wouldn’t falsely seduce another to steal her shirt? No, this isn’t another one of my sexist rants: it’s a (legitimate?) question posed by a Renault ad that has been banned in Italy.
The ad features two women – who I’ll refer to as the blonde and the brunette – who sneak off together for some hanky-panky bedroom fun. The brunette undresses; the blonde blindfolds her and steals her pink top, later comparing it to the color of her Renault Twingo Miss Sixty.
The ad was created by the Milanese arm of French advertising firm Publicis, which Renault had used before to great effect with the highly popular Papa et Nicole ads of the 1990s for the Renault Clio I. However, this latest ad has not gone down well in Italy, with TV RAI (essentially Italy’s BBC) and Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi's Mediaset organization refusing to air it. It has also outraged the nation’s gay-lesbian groups which claim it is offensive to homosexual women.
Italian newspaper Corriere Della Sera asks:
“Is it controversial or cutting edge? One thing for certain though at no point during the advert is any technical aspect of the new Renault Twingo ever mentioned.”
Can’t you be both controversial and cutting edge? Lady Gaga (sort of) falls into this category, doesn’t she? *Is pelted with rotten tomatoes* Okay, okay; and let us never speak of her again.
Publicis spokeperson Daniele Tranchini defends the controversial ad:
“We wanted to create an advert that was original, enjoyable and at the same time not vulgar and I believe we have achieved that. What is clever is that you think the advert is going one way but in the end it goes another - its great don't you think?”
For the time being, the ad is only being aired on Sky and has not be shown outside of Italy. Thanks to YouTube, you – our loyal readers – can see the ad for yourselves and render your verdict in the comment’s section below.
From the creators of last year's R8 V10 garage door decal promo, comes this new advertising project for Audi. This time, creative advertising agency Lowe Roche, came up with a groovy Audi R8 Spyder car cover aimed at BMW and Mercedes-Benz owners who are disappointed with their vehicles, as well as the rest of us who can't afford [...] Ingolstadt's flagship roadster model.
Here's the description from Lowe Roche's webpage: "Don’t have an Audi R8 Spyder? Now you can pretend to have one. Trick your neighbors, and best of all, trick yourself into thinking you have the car of your dreams. Perfect for the BMW or Mercedes owner in your life filled with regret."
Is it just me, or does the wording make the description sound overly conceited?
As previously reported, Tata Nano sales in India have dropped significantly in the past few month, with just 509 customers opting for the US $2,900 micro car, down from 9,000 in July. It seems that Indian buyers have higher aspirations and are moving away from the Nano, as the nation’s market is booming. Reliability issues and a few spontaneously combusting units didn’t help sales either.
To mend the situation, the automaker has extended the car’s warranty and launched a new TV ad, depicting the Nano as the most lovable thing of Earth. Hit the jump to watch the commercial.
Even though this commercial from Delta Lloyd, an insurance company with operations in the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany, has been making the internet rounds for quite some time now, somehow it slipped under our radar. Now, no thanks to a tip from one of our readers, we've probably wasted half of our day watching the clip over and over again... Yes, it's that awesome. Follow the jump to watch the Euro-tuned Boomcar ad along with a few more equally humorous commercials (all featuring the tag-line 'must be Delta Lloyd insured') from the Dutch insurer.
After focusing on the 'Mean Green' machine first, Skoda has now released a follow-up video clip documenting the fictional bad boy crew that builds the Fabia vRS hot-hatch in the firm's latest commercial on the car for the United Kingdom. The new campaign takes a darker but equally humorous twist on the Fabia’s ‘Made of Lovely Stuff’ proposition which was made famous by the 2007 Fabia ‘Cake’ commercial. You can watch the new ad in the video after the jump.
Imagine a dystopian future where companies use hidden flash units to burn their logos into the retinas of innocent, unknowing citizens. It has a sort of George Orwell / Philip K. Dick vibe to it, doesn’t it? Only this isn’t fantasy, this is real.
Before I elaborate, let me explain something. There’s a condition pervading the general public that advertisers hate more than anything else: ad blindness. In this, the 21st century, we are bombarded by so many advertisements from television, print media and the internet that we’ve learned to subconsciously ignore it. That’s right. We see the ads but we don’t process the content.
In the past, advertisers have been sneaky. They’ve used pop up ads, spam and humor to wear away our defenses. In response, we – the general public – have developed pop up blockers, spam filters and Carlos Mencia. So those crafty marketing cretins at BMW (presumably not the same ones that thought up the horrendous 'dontblogaboutthis' campaign) have come up with a new technique: temporarily burning their logo into cinemagoers retinas.
Allow me to explain with an example; it’s night and you’ve having your photograph taken. The camera flash goes off, and for several seconds afterwards you’re left with a bright square in your field of vision every time you close your eyes.
BMW used the same principle, but placed a cut-out of their logo in front of the flash. The flash goes off and the logo is left hanging there behind your eyelids for a short time.
Great, huh? Only these people didn’t know about it, and the flash was hidden behind the cinema screen. Sounds like something out of C.S. Lewis’ That Hideous Strength, about an organization that (among other things) freely experiments on people for some half-though-out, scientific purpose. I don’t know what BMW is calling this new technique, though one phrase comes to my mind: eyeball rape. I give it ten years before they start doing this at Times Square.
In what may be a sign of the times, the Chrysler Group is using bloggers, and members of social media sites and forums to promote its newest models on film. Here we see the company's latest promotional clip showing off the restyled and upgraded Sebring sedan, which as most of you know, has been renamed to 200.
The video hosts a number of people from various websites as well as one of its own marketers, and compares the mid-size sedan with Chevrolet's soon-to-be-replaced Malibu (see the official drawings here) and the Ford Fusion. Being a Chrysler made / edited promotional video, we'd take everything said with plenty grains of salt. Follow the break to watch the short clip.
At least eight auto brands have purchased ad airtime for the next Super Bowl sports event to be held in Arlington, Texas, on February 6. That means we can expect to witness the biggest auto-ad smackdown of recent times, as some automakers plan to air two or even more commercials during the game.
At the 2010 Super Bowl, five car makers aired a combined 5 minutes and 30 seconds worth of ads, while the same number of companies ran just three minutes worth of commercials in 2009. With an ad costing as much as $3 million, it seems that auto makers are ready to ditch their more conservative ads of the last couple of years in favor of funnier, eye-catching spots.
These days most commercials have pretty much the same agenda: a car is traveling on the road, with music playing on the background. To Steve Wilwhite, who worked twenty years for Volkswagen’s American branch, these campaigns are “absolute dreck”, “mind-numbing” and “uninspiring”.
That’s why car companies have to push their limits once again in terms of advertising. “You must have a key, new, innovative, value-laden message to put out there”, said George Cook, executive professor of marketing and psychology at the University of Rochester's Simon Graduate School of Business.
One of the most catching ads of the past years was Hyundai’s “Angry Bosses” masterminded by Jeff Goodby of Goodby Silverstein & Partners, who now work for Chevrolet.
“The Hyundai Assurance spots wouldn't have won the USA Today ad meter, but they were certainly written about in the wake of the Super Bowl a lot. There are also things like 'Angry Bosses' [an ad that aired in Super Bowl 2009] which did do well on the polls because it was designed to be something people remembered, laughed at, talked about”, Mr. Goodby commented.
One of the eight confirmed buyers is BMW, which returns to the Super Bowl after a decade of absence. The Germans plan to use the football match as a stage to promote several new cars.
GM didn’t buy ad space in the last two games, but it’s planning a comeback with Chevrolet. Chrysler did feature a Dodge ad in the last Super Bowl, but this time plans to up the ante.
Audi is consistent: this is going to be the fourth consecutive year that the Ingolstadt-based manufacturer seeks publicity during the first commercial break. Volkswagen will join Audi by purchasing an additional spot.
According to Autonews, Kia will double its exposure, opting for a 60-second ad this time, while Hyundai is bringing out the big guns with three secured commercials – one more than in 2010.
Mercedesis preparing for its 125th anniversary and four new launches next year, so it’s going to run a 60-second ad during the fourth quarter.
Ford opted not get on the Super Bowl train as it will only advertise during Fox’s pre-game coverage.
Having wow'd us with teaser renderings at first followed shortly after by official real-life photographs, Hyundai continues to build hype around its all-new-2012 Azera before the full reveal by giving the car a promotional role in a South Korean TV drama called "The Fugitive Plan B".
While official information around the new Azera, which will be sold as the Grandeur in its home market, remains scarce, one of our South Korean readers, Jinhwan H. claims that word around local news sites is that the car will be offered locally with a choice of three engines. These include the Sonata's 2.4-liter GDI with 200hp and 184.4lb-ft torque, a 3.0-liter V6 GDI delivering 263hp and 225.7lb-ft torque plus a 3.0-liter LPI running on Liquefied Petroleum Gas with 230hp, 204.7lb-ft torque.
For the North American version there is talk about the 2012 Azera being offered with the 263HP 3.0-liter GDI V6 and a 3.3-liter GDI V6 producing 286HP and 254.6lb-ft torque, with power in both cases being transferred to the front wheels through a six-speed automatic transmission.
We'll update the story as soon as Hyundai releases official intel.
Fiat has released the first U.S. commercial featuring it's 500 super-mini urging buyers to "live their life with passion". Priced at $15,500, which should certainly test your passion tolerance, the 500 will be available at 130 dealerships across the country with a 101 hp 1.4-liter MultiAir four-cylinder engine. Check out the video after the break to see if you can resist Fiat's Jedi-like mind-control techniques.
The little Cinquecento will have both manual and automatic transmissions and the all-important for the U.S. market, XXL cup-holders as standard. Customers can choose between three trim levels – Pop, Sport and Lounge, and numerous exterior and interior color combos.
As Skoda is enjoying its best year on record, the VW Group-owned company wants to build on the momentum by launching a new TV campaign for the Fabia vRS hot hatch. The new ad, which is meant to show the darker side of the 180-horsepower-strong hatch, features the "Made from Meaner Stuff" tagline. There will be two versions of the TV commercial, a short 30 second ad and an uncut, 60 second advert.
The 'meaner' campaign, which is the work of Skoda and its advertising agency, Fallon, sees creative directors Chris Bovill and John Allison, who were behind the the 2007 'Cake' campaign, joining forces with director Nick Gordon.
"We always said we'd never make a sequel to 'Cake' but when the vRS brief came along we thought we'd make an 'opposite'. 'Cake' made our mums smile, this should make them want to hide behind a cushion" said Chris Bovill.
Indeed, the cast in this video is anything but friendly or cute as there's a naughty, dark feeling taking center stage here. Just how modern young-lings like their rides to be.
As part of the ongoing celebrations for the Italian brand's first 100 years, Alfa Romeo has unveiled a unique billboard in Chelsea, UK. The specially commissioned artwork depicts the latest model to join Alfa Romeo's range, the all-new Giullietta hatchback, through a mosaic of pictures.
In an apparent nod to the belief that Alfa Romeos have a soul, the mosaic was created by using thousands of photos from past and present owners, historic stills from film, TV and landmark motorsport successes.
"This piece of artwork communicates the brand in its centenary year extremely well. Creating our latest Giulietta model from hundreds of images sent in by fans of the brand and from our heritage really sums up what Alfa Romeo is all about. Not only does the final outcome look fantastic, it also a great piece of memorabilia to mark this special year."
Alfa Romeo said that every person who contributed a photo will receive a Limited Edition print of the mosaic artwork as a token of appreciation.
Classic car ads are always nice, because they were made in times when people weren't so wound up and actually had the time to read something. So, there's plenty of information in them, some of which is quite entertaining today, almost thirty years later.
This here ad depicts the E28 BMW 5-Series, built between 1981 and 1988, claiming that it's both a sports car and luxury sedan.
BMW is showing off the 535i here and it throws in the big guns right from the start: "It eats up the road – any road – at ungodly speed without a hiccup - Car and Driver wrote". And wait, not about this one, but its predecessor, the E12. You can only imagine, then, that the E28 535i must / should have been a better car.
And it was, because this is the generation that spawned the first M5 (or M535i), which you can admire in the gallery below, and started a new dynasty of sports saloons.
Nevertheless, the 535i was no slouch either. The ad doesn't say it, but the 3.4-liter engine had 182 hp (136 kW). However, it does brag about the "0-60mph time" – just 7.4 seconds –, the "communicative power assisted steering" and the "fully independent suspension".
And that's not all: BMW also claimed that the engine management was computer-controlled to "ensure peak engine performance".
The standard equipment list wasn't exactly long, as the E28 owner only got leather seats, air con, a sunroof and on-board computer. Even the description in the ad was short.
And I'll tell you why: because up until the current generation (F10/11), the BMW 5 Series was always a driver's car first and a luxury vehicle after. Not the other way around.
