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.

When will Honda stop coming up with such catchy advertising? I swear, their commercials just keep getting better and better. Back in 2006, Honda released a commercial in which an entire choir comprised of people made noises that sounded like a car- or more specifically- what a Honda vehicle would sound like juxtaposed with clips of a Honda vehicle traveling the roadways. If you close your eyes, you cannot tell the difference; amazing. Those other car companies could stand to learn a thing or two from these guys.

A few months back, GoldRush wrote an interesting post on the Saturn “Anthem” spot and the potential that the “Rethink” mantra has on revitalizing a somewhat-lost brand. I’ve been watching the Saturn campaign with hope and anticipation over the past few months, and this morning, was media-blasted with the newest Saturn spot for the Vue, “Rethinking Everything” on broadcast TV.

This is definitely the most prominent presentation of the “Rethinking Everything” approach. It’s certainly an interesting stance, and this particular spot is a bit warmer and less in-your-face than the “Anthem” spot. While it’s nothing incredibly noteworthy in terms of creative, the visuals and the sound track do work well to communicate the feeling of hope and change. But at the moment, it still only seems like a corporate mantra. As Gavin insightfully commented on the Anthem spot,

I hope they also do something about the dealer network and the brand promise that it fails to deliver. Rebranding is not just for the aspirational part of your business — it should filter through all of your touchpoints.

Judging from much of the forum banter on SaturnFans.com, Saturn still has a long way to go before the Rethink mantra is fully implemented - and accepted with open arms. But there’s something about this re-brand that has me pulling for ‘em. We’ll see.

Sure, there are dozens of ways to judge advertising as “good,” but it’s important to remember that good advertising needs to grab the attention of the target. GSD&M|idea city certainly kept that in mind with this spot introducing the BMW V8 M3 – my auto enthusiast friends (and not advertising/creative-minded folk) have been talking a lot about it - which I’d imagine is the most important goal for BMW.

After touring Europe and visiting the BMW M factory in Munich to study the engine, idea city folks figured out how to take three of the Belgium-build V8 engines and cram cameras, lenses and lighting into ‘em. Then after filming for four 20-hour days, they captured (at 10,000 fps) what happens in a single revolution inside of the 420hp beast of an engine. Without any CGI. It’s amazing that something like that still happens. But it’s incredible, and certainly creating a bit of buzz in the auto world.

Regardless of whether or not it’s a 100% accurate representation of the engine under full running load, it’s an impressive feat in terms of cinematographic execution and in not falling back on CGI. It definitely makes a powerful statement for BMW.

Apparently the old adage “bigger isn’t always better” got tossed out the window with this one. Just meters from Kremlin in Moscow City, BMW has created one of the biggest billboards in Europe. Measuring in at 65,000 sq. ft., it’s large enough that the five full-size BMW M-class models look like ants.

The 450 lb. life-size car models were constructed by We R.Signs International using wheels, body panels, lighting, and a few other parts from BMW. Cars on walls isn’t new, but this magnitude makes it a bit different. Very cool from a construction and installation standpoint. Will it sell more Ms?

full size photos @ englishrussia

These days, simplicity is far from the norm, both in advertising and in life. A new product or campaign launch often contains an advergame or two, viral easter eggs, shot codes, fake viralesque videos, blogs, and on and on and on. We live in a world where multitasking is the norm and our brains are expected to do the filtering. That’s why it’s such a surprise when an ad is simple and makes a quick point without any hidden messages/games/web interaction/etc.
The print ad above, from RKCR Y&R in London for the Land Rover Defender is so simplistically perfect, it hurts. It’s not the greatest art direction ever and the copy isn’t earth-shattering, but it communicates a message well and quickly, without tumultuous effort. It can be done. And is worth remembering every now and then.

For most people in North America, memories of Renault consist of temperamental cars like LeCar and the AMC/Renault co-branded Alliance (both examples of model naming at it’s best). But Renault is alive and well in the rest of the world, competing bumper to bumper with the other industry leaders. They consistently produce some impressive advertising, and this newest spot for The Megane Sport by Publicis London is no different.

A simply beautiful concept. An exquisite “Everything is Sport” tagline that speaks volumes. Quite possibly one of my favorite automotive tags/concepts of late. It positions the Megane Sport perfectly and actually begins to define and mold the target as well. And the direction and production, paired with Vivaldi, produces something memorable. Not just as a cool spot, but as a spot for the Megane Sport, which is another impressive feat in and of itself. Now I just need to figure out how to get a Megane Sport over to this side of the Atlantic.

While the Toyota Corolla Superbowl ad received a fair bit of praise, I wasn’t entirely satisfied. Fortunately, I stumbled upon the new microsite for the car, dubbed “Corolla the X,” complete with an impressively elaborate crest. The site is a fairly bold yet unobtrusive mix of animation, audio, video, and games, managing to do a fairly impressive job at showcasing the features of the Corolla with some humor and without the usual buy-this-car spiel. The site even makes me appreciate the superbowl spot slightly more. My only big question (and maybe slight hesitation) is whether or not “Corolla the X” can really work. The Toyota Corolla has never been in the upper echelon of the automotive world. Can its image reflect it effectively? Will it be able to persuade buyers? Then again, it IS the Corolla… not exactly an unknown in the field.

‘Look at Me!’ speedsters in the UK are pretty much doing the Po-Po’s job for them by filming their high speed antics and whacking ‘em up on YouTube.
It does seem to be direct from the ’so dumb it’s funny’ book but it’s actually happening and I can imagine the boys in blue are loving it, they get to surf the web all day and fill their monthly quota of speeding tickets. Now that’s the only way to live.
And a great use of UGC.

I’m intrigued by what seems to be a recent trend in high-production automotive advertising. The number of commercials containing either an orchestra or a large group of people similarly dressed in a stereotypical factory worker or scientist get-up is fascinating. The newest spot continuing this trend is the Audi A4: Strings 1:30 spot by DDB Barcelona.

I could dig deep and analyze conceptual execution, soundrack choices, and overall production value, but what piques my interest is all of the people wearing lab coats. Who are they? Why are they this experienced at playing with string? And if they are Audi designers, is there any reason they’re all wearing matching lab coats? The only good answers I can come up in my head involve either the visual simplicity it creates or the pseudo-scientist-authority figures it yields. Either way, I still want to know how they got that skilled with string games.

I probably wouldn’t take much notice, but the Audi spot certainly isn’t the only recent advertisement to use the lab coat. The recent Problem Playground spot by W+K London for Honda has a plethora of scientists, construction workers, office execs, and other similarly dressed official-looking people taking part. Do they bring any authority to the message Honda is pushing? Or is it just some visual variety and I’m attempting to read too much into it? And then what of the Ford Focus Orchestra? Does having a musician play an emissions system of a Ford really make me any more likely to purchase a Ford? I’m by no means complaining. I think all the new spots are stellar in their own ways. I just find it interesting the direction that automotive advertising is going. We’ve definitely changed a bit since Joe Isuzu.

And for your viewing pleasure, I’ve embedded the “Problem Playground” and “Orchestra” spots after the jump.

(Read on …)

When I saw the Kia Soap on a Rope commercial, I have to say I was slightly confused. It was funny, but I wasn’t entirely sure what was going on. Apparently Byung Mo Ahn had similar feelings. The previous president and recently named chairman and group CEO of Kia Motors America is reported to be less than amused with the direction of humor that Kia is moving in. According to an article on AdAge today, the soap on a rope spot (and actual soap on a rope handouts) is the cause of departure of both Kia’s president and their VP of marketing. While I can understand Ahn’s desire to change direction of the company’s advertising, I always associate humor with Kia’s advertising, and the soap on a rope spot, while a bit out there, definitely carries on the tradition of the giant map pin, musical cars, and steerology. Regardless of whether or not the spot and the execs departure were directly linked, I think it’s safe to say that it’s never easy to please everyone, not even with soap on a rope.

As I recently viewed a new M-B commercial, I was reminded of this one that debuted about a year ago. I kind of liked this one better… so, I’ll discuss this SL History one I call “Timeless”.

This :60 spot featuring the convertible SL models over the decades successfully does more to celebrate the brand, position Mercedes-Benz as a premier, ritzy icon through the last half century than it does actually “Introducing the 5th Generation SL”. No matter…it works for me. I think most of us who dream of buying or leasing one of these 4-wheeled icons are actually purchasing the brand — both its history and its present.

Although I don’t think the execution of such an idea is all that challenging, I do think it was done well. The ad’s music is aspirational and not offensive to anyone… as it takes us for a ride from one decade to the next (in each of the 5 generation SL convertibles). We re-visit the people, the trends, the fashion (or lack there of), as we witness the timeless elegance of the M-B SL Convertible. The lines and balance of this car (regardless of which generation) never seem outdated — even today.

The car, the icon, and this ad make me agree with the partially tweaked tagline for Mercedes-Benz, “Timeless. Unlike any other.” Timeless, indeed.

Technorati Tags: mercedes, sl, tagline, commercial, beyond madison avenue

If you like cute, to the point, relatively engaging commercials that are (almost) single-focused, you’ll like this introductory commercial for the then all-new Toyota Yaris. And, as my mind wanders to ease the pain of filling my gas tank each week, I dream of driving a car that sucks less gas. And, then I think of this commercial and the Toyota Yaris.

Well, this :30 spot does just about everything I need it to do (except maybe a quick shot of its interior). It playfully, but powerfully, mocks the big, bad oil company’s grip on us by (literally) cutting the gas pumps down to size — and then trampling them before sucking the little bit of gasoline the small Yaris tank needs. The Yaris, spinning about on an all-white background and floor (to show off the vehicle) cruises off after the quick fill-up - and human-like belch - while having an impressive “40 MPG Rated” superimposed prominently.

When the Yaris circles back around it splits into two — to exhibit both the 4-door and 2-door coupe options - superimposing the attractive price of “starting at $12,405″. Enough said…40 MPG, for under $15,000, built with assumed Toyota’s high quality, and pretty good looking. I’ll take two!

Technorati Tags: Toyota, Yaris, commercial, beyond madison avenue

If you are one who believes capturing attention - and luring one to a special website - makes for a successful ad, then I think you’ll like this one from Hyundai. But, if you believe ads should directly help sell something and move people to want to purchase it NOW because of what they saw or heard, then this may not be your cup of tea.

I’ll try to explain…

I’ve watched this TV spot more than several times. It is odd and captivating…but, I’m not so sure it really sells the product (in this case, a brand and a car). But, it may move folks to type in Hyundai’s special, off-beat website ThinkAboutIt. And, I certainly have been thinking about it. And…I did do as the spot tells me, and checked out the website. So, I guess it worked on me. But, did it work for me and for Hyundai?

In all honesty, the spot engages me and makes me think a little — which is good. But, it doesn’t highlight the car well or tell me much — except the vehicle has a fine powertrain warranty (10 year/100,000 miles). So, am I more apt to go test drive and buy a Hyundai? I don’t know…probably not. But, it did make me go to its special website.

You tell me…is this a successful ad?

Technorati Tags: Hyundai. commercial, ThinkAboutIt.com, beyond madison avenue