Thursday, February 3, 2011

Is this really Audi?

I'm concerned.

I came across these teasers for Audi's Superbowl commercial and it has me wondering what's in their drinking water.





Audi has been using a competitive strategy for a few years, taking on Mercedes and BMW head to head. And I know that for advertising to be truly successful, it has to be about more than just the features and functional benefits.

This, however, is just silly.

The Audi brand is about innovative engineering that provides superior performance and an incredible driving experience. How does making fun of preppies and Kenny G communicate this?

These spots feel juvenile. Like a bad Saturday night live skit. And that's the real problem.

Audi has always been cool and sophisticated, quiet and confident while they kicked the rest of the automotive industry's collective ass. They didn't care what others did. They would just go and do what they knew was right and let things take care of themselves.

The tone of these commercials makes Audi feel like a 15 year old boy desperate for attention. And that has me worried.

If Audi spends too much time focusing on their competition, they run the risk of not focusing on the things that have made them great.

And that would be a real shame.

3 comments:

  1. Wow! The message in these trailers is so far off the mark it makes you wonder if they aren't a spoof.

    I'm not sure there's enough room on the cutting room floor to edit either of these trailers into a 15 sec spot.

    Does Kenny G need work? Too random for my taste.

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  2. Wow. After all that money spent ... and my first reaction is *definitely* not to join the Audi club. I can only hope these are nothing like whatever their real super bowl ad is.

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  3. My next car was going to be an Audi. Maybe not so much anymore... Just plain silly.

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