What if, instead of an ad agency, you were Jerry Seinfeld? That’s the question on my mind after viewing slew of Acura ads created by Seinfeld, to air during Season 3 of his online series, “Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee.”
The series itself is funny. How could it not be: each episode features Seinfeld and a guest comedian doing exactly what the title suggests they’re going to do – hanging out, driving, grabbing a cup of coffee, riffing spontaneously on whatever’s on their minds and generally being their funny selves.
The Acura commercials are also pretty good, although Seinfeld himself does not appear in them. I was struck by how, if you’re Jerry Seinfeld, you can get some pretty offbeat concepts produced by a client that, well, let’s face it, is not exactly known for their breakthrough commercials.
After seeing these spots, I’m having a hard time picturing an Acura commercial that doesn’t feature a trunk full of toxic potato salad or a dead alien. The true test of Acura’s intestinal fortitude: running the best of these spots during the Super Bowl. (Last year, Seinfeld starred in Acura’s big game commercial.) But even if they don’t get traction beyond the web, it’s nice to see a traditional brand dipping their toes into more experimental waters.
The low cost of entry (from a media dollars standpoint) has spurred an encouraging and much-noted trend of brands “trying something different” as long as they can run it online. In this case, Acura has surely spent a bit of coin on the talent and the production, so I’ve got to give them some extra props for it. Even if they did hedge their bets on the creative team.
~ Adam Schnitzler, CCO, The S3 Agency
