The International Advertiser Bitch Slapping Awards (IABSA) have been announced this week and the finalists include three of the world's most prestigious automakers.
The trouble began when BMW released an ad for its new 3-series and congratulated Audi for winning the South African car of the Year award. Certainly an esteemed honor in it's own right, but BMW signed the congratulations with the line, "From the winner of the world car of the year award 2006." Ohhhh, snap!
Audi's PR guerrillas, not willing to sit idly by while being assaulted in the print realm, fought back with the ferocity expected from the German carmaker. They parried BMW's thrust with an ad proclaiming that the "world car of the year award" was nice, but we've kicked butt at LeMans for six consecutive years, so put that in your pipe and smoke it!
Then, from the east, comes Subaru, who wanted a piece of this chest-pounding, automotive aggression and jumped in with an ad proclaiming, "Well done to Audi and BMW for winning the beauty contest. From the winner of the 2006 International Engine of the Year Winner." Burn!
The full ads can be viewed in all their egregious glory after the jump.
[Tipage goes to Rsplatpc]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
C @ Aug 8th 2006 12:16PM
Has anyone verified that these aren't the Photochops they look like? Anyone skilled in the art could add some text to a picture in about 5 minutes.
I have some Porsche ads I made in high school, if I send a link will someone call me a "PR guerrilla?"
storm9 @ Aug 8th 2006 12:17PM
haha Subaru... is first of all not "prestigious". And BMW won more 06 international engine of the year awards(in different catagories) that Subarau ever did. BMW won like 5. Subaru..1.
BMW won in the desiel, the V10 M engine, and a few more.
It didnt win the 4 banger catagory(which subarau won) b/c BMW doesnt make that many 4 bangers.
Tsarmina @ Aug 8th 2006 12:18PM
lol. Go Subaru
330R @ Aug 8th 2006 12:26PM
Audi may want to pay closer attention..
2000-2006 would be seven consecutive years, not six.
Oh, I found the problem.. they didn't win in 2003; Bentley did. Oops.
Bow Tie Optional @ Aug 8th 2006 12:27PM
A potato on wheels could win over a Subaru in a beauty contest...
bgdc @ Aug 8th 2006 12:28PM
Do people really care if a car wins awards? COTY from Motor Trend is the laughing stock of the auto world. Saying an engine is one Ward's 10 Best list is like saying you won something during McDonald's monopoly game. Whoopty freaking do.
required @ Aug 8th 2006 12:34PM
If Audi didn't win in 2003, then it's not consecutive for 6 years, now is it?
Rich @ Aug 8th 2006 12:37PM
Subaru may not be as "prestigious" (read overpriced) as BMW or Audi, but has some of the best cars under 30K. The Legacy GT is a fine car and blows away similarly priced Audi or BMW models.
FYI - Subaru won just one award while BMW won 4 awards, but in the category that Subaru won (2.0-2.5 liter), Subaru and BMW were direct competitors.
Also FYI, there is no diesel category.
ruggels @ Aug 8th 2006 12:43PM
#3... who owns bentley again? oh VAG. And what happened in 03? Oh bentley released a new model... though i'm sure it was an honest win, why would audi throw a race to allow bentley some cred for thier most profitable and best selling car to date. oh that's right, it's called business :).
jg @ Aug 8th 2006 12:55PM
'The Legacy GT is a fine car and blows away similarly priced Audi or BMW models.
'
I can't speak for Audi but nothing made by Subaru blows away anything made by BMW. Apples and oranges.
holy_cow @ Aug 8th 2006 12:55PM
Subaru makes superb cars and all, but honestly their ad was a bit unwarranted, opportunistic and piggybacky. As has been pointed out, BMW bested everyone at the Engine Awards anyway. Subaru's use of the words 'From the winner of the 2006 International Engine of the Year' seem to refer to the overall prize, when that one went to BMW's V10. So, in short - lame.
Well done Audi, though. Bet those Bavarian boys are plenty sore at having essentially sucked exhaust fumes at F1 for so many years.
Cap'n @ Aug 8th 2006 1:02PM
Go Audi... the true ultimate driving machine.
Subarus aren't pretty @ Aug 8th 2006 1:07PM
A couple of years back Subaru ran an ad in the US that showed a Forester 2.5XT and said "The vaunted 350Z just got smoked by a family of five and a dog."
They're good with this stuff.
It's a bit ironic that Subaru talks about not winning beauty contests and then shows the hideous nose of their new WRX front and center. Subaru, why can't you make good looking cars anymore?
I'd definitely take a Subaru over a BMW and Audi. And I own an Audi right now!
ruggels:
When Audi (more likely VAG) decided to run a thinly cloaked R8 as a Bentley Speed 8 in Le Mans in 2003, they gave up the right to say Audi won X years in a row. You can't run a modifed car under a new name and then say you won anyway. In my personal opinion, VAG blew it big time when they fielded a Bentley to win in 2003. How many companies can say their car win Le Mans 6 years in a row, every time it was entered including its rookie year? Well, not Audi. But they could have, if they had done things differently.
I don't get how you think the Bentley Speed 8 is Bentley's most profitable and best selling car to date, as it was never offered for sale.
For those saying BMW won more engine awards than Subaru. Well, Subaru only has engines in two classes, and they won one of them, beating BMW. That's a pretty good record. Honestly, I don't like these engine awards much anyway. They tend to pick overpriced, overcomplex, overweight, oversized, poor mpg OHC engines because they happen to have high HP/displacement ratings (due to their high redlines).
When BMW can reduce the new M5 V10 to the same size and weight as the LS7, we can talk about engine awards. And then they can work on matching the cost and mpg too.
Dr. Woo @ Aug 8th 2006 1:23PM
Audi's redesigned A6 won World CotY in 2005...
BMW won 4 IEotY categories, VW/Audi won 3, and Subaru won...one.
Then, as specified by the agency, "The winners of the engine capacity class are then automatically shortlisted for the overall prize of International Engine of the Year." The winner? BMW's 5.0L V10.
Somebody at Subaru PR didn't do their homework.
Ferguson McSqueege @ Aug 8th 2006 1:44PM
And recently Subaru ran an ad attacking VW's Fast campaign that I found humorous.
"When you go 0-60 in 4.7 seconds, you don't need a made-up character called Fast."
Bob-o @ Aug 8th 2006 1:51PM
But BMW doesn't field a team on a prototype chassis...so who cares but themselves? The only major manufacturer to field a team in the last 6 years has been Cadillac, and if you can't beat Cadillac, you've got issues (although the Corvette team remains dominant).
Dr. Woo @ Aug 8th 2006 2:02PM
Re: Ferguson McSqueege
Maybe when you have an extra $11,000 burning a hole in your pocket...
tekdemon @ Aug 8th 2006 2:35PM
ok that subaru ad can't be real, because BMW is the actual winner of the 2006 International Engine of the Year award. They give out category awards but the overall prize was won by the BMW V10...so it would make no sense for that ad to exist.
Steve @ Aug 8th 2006 2:37PM
"Congratulations to BMW, Audi, and Subaru in their pissing contest"
From the automaker gaining the most market share and making the most profit.
Toyota
jordan @ Aug 8th 2006 2:47PM
Re: #17, Steve
I believe you need to make a slight adjustment:
"From the automaker gaining the most market share making the most profit, and soon to have the most recalls."
Not trying to turn this into an argument not even related to the topic at hand, but you should at least paint the entire picture first. Oh wait, maybe you're just making Toyota sound like Subaru in this case and just make everything sound all peachy for you. :)