Audi & Super Bowl XLIII: If At First You Succeed, Do It Again!
The Super Bowl gave Audi an offer it couldn’t refuse.
By Gunnar Heinrich | IMG from Audi of America via YouTube
AUDI is planning another commercial for the next Super Bowl.
Memorably, the German automaker created a stir during the last Super Bowl (42) when the carmaker showcased the R8 in an excellent 60-second commercial spoofing the famous “horse head” scene from The Godfather ; demonstrating what new money luxury would do to old if it didn’t get its way.
I couldn’t get Audi’s PR man to confirm whether the fascia they used for the “head” of the old luxury car came from a Bentley T2.
“The horse head wasn’t in reference to any specific car in that advertisement,” he wrote back.
It sure looked like a 70s Bentley to me.
Audi of America says that their commercial was the second most buzzworthy of Super Bowl 42′s ads (according to Nielsen) and that the flagship R8 got its 15 seconds of Google top search fame in the days following the broadcast.
Still, the marque’s November’s sales were down 25% on last year’s figures. Audi says that there’s a silver lining to these dismal figures in that their respective slice of the import bakery’s prestige pie expanded past 8% this year.
Hey, ya do what you can in tough markets. And that why Audi’s advertising again for Super Bowl XLIII.
About the Author: Gunnar Heinrich is publisher of Automobiles De Luxe online and is executive producer of the Automobiles De Luxe Television series on PBS member station CPTV.
Christopher P. Davis | Dec 11, 2008 | Reply
I have a feeling this year that Auto Union may be able to purchase 2 spots for what they paid last year…
Gunnar | Dec 11, 2008 | Reply
Yeah, I’m sure that once the bloat from the campaign bucks fades, the networks are going to be burning for cash just like every other industry out there.
Neil | Dec 12, 2008 | Reply
That R8 is beautiful…and scary. Not something I am used to saying about Audi’s. But that commercial is just hilarious, very well done.
Gunnar | Dec 12, 2008 | Reply
Yeah, they did do a good job, didn’t they…