Car Advertisements
The Top 5 Most Creative
Some of the most memorable, mesmerising and often mind-boggling advertising campaigns come from the automobile industry. And from magazine advertisements and television commercials to publicity stunts and social media trends, car companies continue to capture the attention of their consumers and encourage their active participation with their brand. Subsequently, listed below are but 5 of the most creative car adverts which have entertained and enthralled modern day motorists.
1-Audi
Audi capitalized upon their substantial Facebook fan base and F1 racing connections by releasing a YouTube video featuring the Audi R8. Additionally, Audi wished to celebrate their 500,000 Facebook fans. So therefore, they collaborated with Dindo Capello, an Italian endurance racing driver, to create a video where he skidded the number 500,000 into the ground using the Audi R8. Subsequently, they then uploaded the video onto Facebook and YouTube. What’s more, Audi also created prints using designs generated by the Audi R8 tire marks and signed by renowned race car driver. This video was an immense success for Audi; so much so that it was even broadcast on TV to engage new audiences, and ultimately expanded their fan base by 17%.
2-Kia
Using the tagline “A new way to roll”, the 2010 TV commercial for the Kia Soul depicted a city inhabited solely by hamsters in wheels. Created by Los Angeles-based ad agency David & Goliath, a Kia Soul is driven by hamsters throughout this city to the amazement of the other rodent residents. This commercial humorously showcased the wealth of multimedia functions available within the new Kia Soul, and perfectly encapsulated Kia’s mantra; “The Power To Surprise”.
These hamsters have proved so successful with Kia fans that they have since returned for multiple commercials, including the latest “Totally Transformed” advertising campaign for the 2014 Kia Soul.
3-Volkswagen
Following on with the animal trend, Volkswagen’s latest UK advertising campaign united car and canine fans alike by pairing up 21 different dog breeds with a variety of Volkswagen models. By doing so, Volkswagen created a unique concept through which they emphasised their brand tag line; “There’s a Volkswagen for all of us”. This campaign was broadcast via a series of TV commercials and was accompanied by a Twitter hashtag #woofwagen, which encouraged Volkswagen drivers to post pictures of their canine car trips.
The advertising campaign was successful amongst a wealth of car fans, with motoring company Jardine Motors commending Volkswagen for their marketing acumen; “By choosing familiar breeds to represent the characteristics of each model, Volkswagen’s line-up is communicated in a more relatable way…An upbeat soundtrack also brings to life the joy of driving a Volkswagen, and while the dogs are the main focus, the models are seen cruising in beautiful landscapes and around town. The versatility and style of the Volkswagen range is clear for all to see”.
4- Chevrolet
See a penny pick it up, all the day you’ll have good luck! This classic saying is directly applicable to Chevrolet’s publicity stunt for their 2008 Aveo model; wherein they created a 20 foot billboard of the Aveo which consisted entirely of pennies. This billboard image of the Chevrolet Aveo was displayed on London’s New Oxford Street, and after 30 minutes passersby had stripped the billboard of the 20,000 pennies used. The inspiration behind this publicity stunt was to demonstrate the affordability of the new Chevrolet Aveo, which costs merely £7,695, or 769,500 pennies. The stunt was a notable success for Chevrolet, with their UK Marketing Chief Les Turton commending how the advert successfully “stopped traffic and actually put money back into the motorist’s pocket”.
5- Nissan
Holy publicity stunt Batman! In 2013 NISMO and Nissan collaborated to create a Batmobile themed Nissan Juke to coincide with the release of The Dark Knight Rises. Over 230,000 online users actively engaged with this 2013 campaign wherein a Nissan Juke was customised with suitably Batman-esque features. These customisations included; matt black paint, a shark fin antenna, aluminium Bat badges on the front grille and tailgate, interior Bat logos on the kick-plates and reflective Bat badges on the headrests of the suede-trimmed Nismo sports seats. The Juke even featured down-lighters mounted under the door mirrors project the famous Bat signal onto the floor area around the doors whilst inside an up-lighter projects the same signal onto the black headlining!
This Bat-Juke concept was initially an online publicity campaign but, due to its immense success, Nissan produced a customised Dark Knight Rises Nissan Juke which motorists could actually purchase. This customised car, and its accompanying advertising campaign, proved to be a significant success for Nissan. The Juke’s product manager, Jon Davies, revealed at the time how; “We’re not even halfway through the year and we’re already well ahead of our target, having sold nearly 600 cars…That’s a fantastic achievement and proof that buyers love the Juke Nismo’s combination of accessible performance, stylish looks and generous equipment.”
And now, in conclusion, now that you’ve seen the specs, we hope you enjoy the special vintage video above called “Headrest Driving a Car”.
Bradley Taylor is a freelance writer from Derby who writes across a variety of topics. You can follow him on Twitter @BradleyTaylor84
