So you may have heard that the UK advert for the Audi R8 has been cancelled after just ONE complaint. Yes, that is right, one. Pathetic. The advert dubbed 'The Eye' saw a R8 being driven in a tunnel whilst the camera focuses on a pupil that changes in size throughout. The tagline at the end of the advert is 'more focus, more drive' and it's not shocking or particularly controversial if you ask me.
The advert that was too much for one person to bear...
If anything I think the RS3 advert in which it's 'born' out of the R8 is certainly more risqué - and a bit freaky. But it's got me thinking, what have been the best car adverts over the years? Honda and Volkswagen have produced some crackers over the years, let's have a look at some.
Quite possibly the freakiest car ad I've ever seen
Let's start with one of my all time favourites and one of the most iconic car adverts of all time. The Austin Montego may have been rather humdrum and let's face it, a bit dull but I'd like to think it will be forever remembered by this advert which ran in the late 80s with stunt/precision driver Russ Swift behind the wheel.
Russ Swift makes light work of finding car parking space
I've already mentioned Honda in this article and this is one the brand's most infamous ads. It's features a variety of different Honda vehicles - even a hot air balloon - that are all shared by one driver as he embarks on the 'Impossible Dream' which is the song used for the advert. A truly wonderful and iconic advert.
The impossible dream...
We move to Jaguar now which drafted in the help of British actors, Sir Ben Kingsley, Mark Strong and Tom Hiddleston to promote its 'Good To Be Bad' campaign. It's one of the coolest and suave adverts around and if that wasn't enough, Jaguar followed it up recently with another ad featuring no less than Stephen Hawking and Nicholas Hoult. Oh yes, it's good to be bad...
Does this picture even need a caption?
We return to Honda and another of its iconic ads, this time it's for just one car, rather than a collection of different vehicles. It's for the Honda Accord and it features a very well put together domino effect that leads up to 'Rappers Delight' being played before the Accord is revealed. Great advert, great song.
This advert is sheer genius
This is not an advert I've seen on UK teles but it's one I've enjoyed watching nonetheless. It's the advert for the new FIAT 500S in which the Italian firm dubs the car as being one for 'bad boys'. In the advert there are blokes in white coats who 'attack' the car with a handbag to make sure it's durable enough for those lover's tiffs. One could potentially view this as sexist but if they I do suggest they lock themselves away and find a sense of humour.
The 500S is able to withstand handbag attacks - a test not conducted by Euro NCAP
I actually forgot about this gem but Citroen once made an advert where a C4 transforms in to a dancing 'carbot'. Doesn't really say a great deal about the car but the music is spot on and you certainly cannot make the brand down for creativity.
This car has best moves than some street dancers...
To quote Monty Python, "and now time for something completely different", with the Volkswagen Golf GTI which is an iconic car and has an iconic advert to match. If you're not old enough (like me) to remember when the ad originally aired then you may remember when Top Gear featured on on the show when Clarkson and May set out to create their own ad which went...well...
The man who lost everything...
A few decades later the German firm followed up with a different approach to promote the GTI but one that was just as effective. It takes a modern spin on 'Singing in the Rain' and was used to promote the Golf GTI Mk5. The tagline at the end is 'The Original, Updated' - very clever indeed.
Another classic ad from ze Germans
In 2007 Skoda showed us that you could have your cake AND eat it with its campaign for the Fabia which is entirely made of, well, cake. The Czech firm used the song 'Favourite Things' and the tagline read 'Full of lovely stuff'. I imagine it was probably full of lots of calories as well..
This Skoda ad was a sweet success
The 80s was a mad era for clothing, music, hair and the bold eighties theme leaked in to the Peugeot 205 GTI commercial which used many explosions to advertise the iconic hot hatch. The car is parachuted in to a snowy mountain before it's chased down by a large aircraft which is in hot pursuit. The ad is certainly in tune with the times and it's unlikely we will get another car ad like it again. Even if we do, some spoilsport will only complain about it!
It's behind you...
Ok, let's wrap this up, and to do so I turn once again towards Honda. Whoever does the advertising for Honda needs a big raise. This advert is very hands on and starts of with just a cog that rapidly gets turned in to a whole host of vehicles. Another stroke of genius from the Japanese brand.
This advert deserves a big hand...