Ad Fail: Audi Hits a Major Speedbump
During last night’s game (what, you didn’t hear? The Super Bowl was on.), the over-the-top, desperate attempts of various corporations to brand themselves deep into your pysche made going to the bathroom impossible. Every advertiser eagerly spends their $2.5 million (or more) hoping that their ad will be the talk of the water cooler on Monday.
Here’s to hoping that Audi believes that all publicity is good publicity, including bad press.
There “Green Police” commercial, I believe, was meant to make people laugh and perhaps think twice about all the ways that we’re meant to get cleaner and greener… but this commercial also taps into the very essence and backlash against doing anything “greener”.
Being one for taking responsibility in being more eco-conscious with every decision we each make (no matter what they decision be), you might think they pandered their commercial to the likes of those already on the bandwagon.
Not me. Frankly, I cannot figure out exactly which demographic they tried to hit with this plop of advertising dung.
I saw a commercial showing the levels of government regulation, enforcement, and perhaps corruption like that of Orwell’s 1984.
I saw a world where our freedom eroded in the name of a “better cause”. I saw communism at its most dangerous — in the form of convincing people that it is OK.
Marc often says I need to lighten up, and a commercial is just a commercial. I disagree, however, because best case scenario, that brand just lost major points and wasted money on something no one will pay attention to. Worst case scenario, these commercials ingrain themselves into our collective conscious, become part of the normal discussion, and even reflect the world we live in and society we are becoming.
All I expect and want is a grounded perspective, or a truly well thought-out, tongue-in-cheek play that makes us think. This commercial only seems to serve extremists on both side of a deeply polarized issue. Nothing grounded about that approach.
This Audi itself seems like a great car and a sign of much-needed automobile progress. I would never have known from the ad, however, which blundered their point and got people talking about it the wrong way. Then again, plenty of people are having mixed reactions, so perhaps their Ad Execs are darn proud.
They simply missed the mark, I believe. Social responsibility is a responsibility, but it is, and should also remain, a choice.
Watch it for yourself, and let me know what you think:
Expecting more from branding, sustainability, society, and government,
Ashley Sue
[...] The Audi “Green Police” Super Bowl commercial last night was a major letdown for many environmentalists (not all), as well as a major shot in the arm for extremists on both sides. I think it was a marketing fail on Audi’s behalf not to take a more grounded approach… or at least hit their target properly. And I explain why here on AshleySue. [...]
I agree Ashley- it was terrible. In my old state of Massachusetts homeowners can already be fined if someone reports recycling being found in their trash!
I think I’m like you, and most people. I fill my recycling can every week, and usually only have 1 bag of “trash”. But when you force people to do anything, there’s always a backlash, and that’s what that commercial made me think of. It didn’t make me want to run out and buy that car that’s for sure.
I see your point but you have to remember it is an ad and the purpose of an ad is to create a reaction by consumers, specifically a purchasing decision. Creating awareness is also a goal of ads and if Audi created a greater awareness of their product’s green features that is a win for Audi. Ideally the consumer takes that awareness into consideration when starting the purchasing process for a car.
Yes there can be backlash against green initiatives but you also have to have some level of suspension of disbelief when watching ads and movies. Ads have to be clever to discern themselves from all the other marketing messages directed at consumers.
Does this ad work? We won’t know until several months from now when we look at Audi’s sales numbers for this product.
I think that’s where this commercial did the biggest disservice, it portrayed the green movement as an authoritarian one. It’s not about forcing people to change, but empowering them with the knowledge of the outcome of their choices so we can all do something about it. This should be something we all want.
On the other hand, some things will need to be forced. I have seen it countless times in my own line of work- we ‘infringe’ on the rights of landowners to ‘do with what they please with their own land’- even when that means preventing them from dumping garbage/oil/sewage in ‘their’ stream.
We live in a global world and our actions have an affect on things, not just locally, but in some cases globally. The individual was not only poisoning his own stream, but all of his down-stream neighbors who were powerless to stop him. In this regard, it was the ‘environmentalists’ and ‘government regulation’ which saved the day, not only for the environment, but the downstream landowners as well.
These laws may be ‘environmental’ in appearance, but prevent the suffering of tens, thousands or millions of individuals as well.
Coming off my tangent, I think the commercial itself was indeed an atrocity. It created a reality for a green authoritarian society oppressing its people (and not the manufacturers of these goods), all while greenwashing a car.
I love this: “Social responsibility is a responsibility, but it is, and should also remain, a choice.”
I felt insulted on multiple levels when I saw this commercial. Not only were they mocking very real issues, but of all things, they completely ignored the historic associations with some other German-based “green police.” Anyone who has read about the Holocaust knows that’s not really something you want associated with your brand.
If Audi is trying to sell a trendy product, it may have accomplished its goal. However, I’ve found that the best way to encourage investments in cleaner, greener technologies is to inform the intended buyers. They definitely missed that.
There were so many ways they could have engaged their prospective buyers. Speaking at least for myself, all Audi did was convince me I won’t be buying one of their cars anytime soon.
Great post.
“I think that’s where this commercial did the biggest disservice, it portrayed the green movement as an authoritarian one…On the other hand, some things will need to be forced.”
“Forced”… The very spirit of the authoritarian. The commercial is a very effective humorous critique of your view.
The biggest problem with the modern environmental movement is it is turning the personal preferences of the envirotarians into legislative decrees of “forced” compliance. What was once merely your choice will now be the law for all us once free citizens.
It’s going to happen with light bulbs, solar panels, housing and already is happening with paper vs plastic and plastic water bottles. It continues to happen with automobiles as people try to exercise their freedom of choice and envirotarians try to excise the freedom of choice.