Luxury car abstinence. That’s the premise behind Audi’s painfully long (1:45) spot that compares choosing your first luxury car to choosing your first lover. Yes, someone thought that sentiment was strong enough to move forward with producing not just a commercial, but a nearly 2-minute long video showing vignettes of young affluents who are “just saying no” to BMW and Mercedes. They’re “holding out” for an Audi. Um, really? Go ahead and watch the video, if you must:
This ad doesn’t work for so many reasons. Here are three:
- First and foremost, anybody who can afford a BMW or Mercedes can certainly afford an Audi – there would be no “waiting” involved.
- Second, while Audi is clearly trying to break through with a “ballsy” ad, they should be speaking with their cars and not via actors playing unrelatable, obnoxious, entitled and apparently not-too-smart roles of people who are unlikeable at best.
- Third, this ad isn’t just bad – it’s in bad taste. (Excuse me, does the gentleman at 1:15 actually utter the “s” word? In a branded ad from a premium automaker?) For shame.
If Audi’s only goal was to drum up a reaction, they appear to be on the road to accomplishment. Here’s how YouTube viewers are voting with their thumbs:
But if Audi was looking to make their brand more appealing to anyone who isn’t a complete jacka$$, they’re falling way short of the finish line. It’s a very disappointing move.
~ @AdvertGirl (Denise Blasevick, CEO, The S3 Agency)
