Audi, BMW ad war taken to the streets of SoCal
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Autoblog reader Conor sent us this photo of Santa Monica Blvd. in Southern California where a billboard advertising the new Audi A4 has apparently been up for months. The ad throws down a gauntlet at the feet of BMW with an image of the new A4 and the statement, "Your move, BMW." Whether by design or by happenstance, the Munich-based brand recently made its move, hoisting up a billboard across the street that displays the high-performance M3 and the word "Checkmate." Ouch. We're sure Audi will have more to say when the RS4/5 arrives sometime in the near future, but for now, BMW appears to have the final word in this billboard chess match.As you'll likely remember, these two brands are no strangers to duking it out with each other in advertisements, having gone toe-to-toe with each other and Subaru in late 2006 over which brand had the most prestigious "Of the Year" award. Thanks for the tip, Conor.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
Josh 7:06PM (4/13/2009)
Clever :)
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zamafir 7:48PM (4/13/2009)
indeed, i frequently cross shop non M/RS variants with M/RS variants. It's actually kind of sad. Were BMW displaying a 3 series i'd be all for it. Trouble is, the current 3 series isn't exactly a slam dunk over the new A4, and I'm guessing BMW's marketing team choose the M3 to sideskirt the issue. Oh well.
next up, an equally relevant R8 billboard.
PJ 9:45PM (4/13/2009)
I personally think the ad would've been just as effective with a pic of the 328i sedan. Despite the redesign, the A4 in a different league from the BMW in terms of on-limit chassis balance and primary-control tactility. If the A4 is an uncommonly talented sedan, the 3-Series is a sports car in a suit.
Will Design for Food 11:07PM (4/13/2009)
Well...checkmate refers to the end of the game. Meaning, Audi can't best that. Thus, throwing them M3 into the ad.
kit 4:01AM (4/14/2009)
zam-
Just cause someone moves the pawn doesn't mean you can't use the queen.
:)
mole 8:47AM (4/14/2009)
and just because someone thinks he has checkmate doesnt mean it is. COUNTER! I think BMW is using a car in a diff category to counter and is trying to shun away from the point that the 3 series is an ugly looking car which is not as good as the A4. While the M3 is a performance car, the A4, like the 3 series is a small sedan.
Hike15 7:09PM (4/13/2009)
I wonder how many people actually notice this
but its pretty funny and clever...only the germans...
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Andre 7:13PM (4/13/2009)
LOL, that's hilarious.. Freestyle Marketing on BMW's part. lol
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fobunited 7:14PM (4/13/2009)
Even without the M3, the 335i and 335d both garner better reviews than the new A4.
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Max 7:25PM (4/13/2009)
Actually, I'd be interested in looking at the figures the past 2 quarters. Generally speaking, Audi should be doing better than BMW in volume and profit in 09. Once the next gen S4 and RS4 is out, BMW will have more than enough to handle (A4,S4,RS4).
I've seen the ads, heading westbound on Santa Monica Blvd. Hilarious :D
JeremyClarkson 7:16PM (4/13/2009)
// Hike15
Indeed, only Germans :)
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2004m3driver 7:25PM (4/13/2009)
What would a picture of an M6 be? Go fish?
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2004m3driver 7:27PM (4/13/2009)
argh I meant an X6 M. Ruins the joke otherwise.
Taglane 7:40PM (4/13/2009)
Since the 6 Series looks like a crustacean, it still works.
Mobilehavoc 7:31PM (4/13/2009)
I know, let's take our sports sedan that starts at $55k and compare that to a car that starts at $33k. Brilliant.
Morons.
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RJ 1:07AM (4/14/2009)
You have zero sense of humour. Brilliant.
Moron.
wolverinejoe80 7:39PM (4/13/2009)
Audi is underrated in the U.S and way too overrated in europe
audi vs. bmw
A4>3 series sedan(never liked sedan design)
335i coupe>a5
5>a6
7>a8
TT>z4
qx7=x5
qx5=x3
and of course I'll take any M over S
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Taglane 7:43PM (4/13/2009)
You just got me confused over all those terms, but I do know for sure there is no such thing as a QX5 or QX7.
cheers.
Bobby S. 7:44PM (4/13/2009)
You can have all the M's you want ... I'll just sit in the corner over there with my RS's.
Cheers
Alex 7:50PM (4/13/2009)
Where you go wrong is by comparing the M with the S. I always looked at it differently, at it makes sense to me when looking at price and power. The S4 is comparable to the 335, while the RS4 is comparable to the M3.
And as bobby said, you can take your M's, i'll be just fine with the RS's.