Autoblog http://www.autoblog.com Autoblog http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.autoblog.com/media/feedlogo.gif Autoblog http://www.autoblog.com en-us Copyright 2009 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[Honda wins Commercial of the Decade, but not for the ad you think [w/VIDEO]]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2009/12/18/honda-wins-commercial-of-the-decade-but-not-for-the-ad-you-thin/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/12/18/honda-wins-commercial-of-the-decade-but-not-for-the-ad-you-thin/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/12/18/honda-wins-commercial-of-the-decade-but-not-for-the-ad-you-thin/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

Honda's Commercial of the Decade: "Grrr" - Click above to watch video

The mad men at Adweek recently voted for the Commercial of the Decade (Super Bowl commercials not included) and Honda took top honors over memorable ads from the last ten years by companies like Nike, Budweiser and Sony. That's not a big surprise considering Honda often puts a huge amount of effort into its on-air spots. However, the Japanese automaker didn't win for the commercial you might have expected: "Cog." Though Honda's famous commercial that breaks down a European Accord Tourer into a Rube Goldberg-esque machine was also a finalist, it was beaten by another Honda commercial called "Grrr" that's narrated by Garrison Keillor of all people. You've probably never seen it, but you can after the jump.

Volkswagen also made the list of finalists, but the particular ad chosen out of all the comical VW ads we've seen was unexpected as well. Most surprising carmaker with a commercial in the finals: Saturn. Who knew...

Just for fun we've put all 27 commercials after the break with the auto-related ones at the top, so you can enjoy the swear jar, the creepy-funky Philips clowns, a "rabbit panther thingy with turbines on ice," and the most sad-but-hilarious IKEA commercial we've ever seen. As a bonus we included the Gears of War commercial since we think it deserves a mention, and because it's almost the weekend and it doesn't always have to be about cars, does it? Follow the jump for the ad-fest.

[Source: Adweek]

Continue reading Honda wins Commercial of the Decade, but not for the ad you think [w/VIDEO]

Honda wins Commercial of the Decade, but not for the ad you think [w/VIDEO] originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 18 Dec 2009 19:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Click above to see the VW Golf commercial

So it's not just America that gets up in arms over commercials. Remember the Matrix-styled ad with the Volkswagen Golf designer fighting various versions of himself? It seems a number of British telly viewers think the commercial "is in breach of the broadcast advertising code for featuring excessive violence that could be copied by children." So they complained to the Advertising Standards Authority, and the ASA is now investigating.

The complaints could mean the spot won't be aired before the 9 p.m. watershed, which is when programs for "children" ages 15-and-up get aired. We've seen more frightening things on YouTube -- in fact, even the G-rated The Tale of Despereaux has more chilling moments than this commercial -- but maybe the parents are afraid their kids will end up fighting... their clones.

[Source: The Guardian]

Continue reading FOLLOWUP: VW's Matrix-style advertisement garners 100+ complaints

FOLLOWUP: VW's Matrix-style advertisement garners 100+ complaints originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 10 Jan 2009 16:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Click above to watch the video

AutoCar readers have voted on the year's best car commercial, and unsurprisingly, it's not from America. Neither is AutoCar, sure, but that still doesn't quite explain why we get GM's Our Country ads and the rest of you get ninja kittens and singing dogs. We're not even sure how singing dogs sell cars - which might be why we don't get them - but they're a lot more fun. The dog can try to explain himself in this year's winning video after the jump.

[Source: Automoto Portal]

Continue reading VIDEO: AutoCar Ad of the Year - Volkswagen's Singing Dog

VIDEO: AutoCar Ad of the Year - Volkswagen's Singing Dog originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 18 Nov 2008 19:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Click above to watch video after the jump

In what could very possibly be the worst auto-related commercial we have ever seen, Volkswagen has somehow convinced Brooke Shields (really Brooke, are things this bad?) to shill its new, at least to VW showrooms, Caravan Routan minivan. Apparently, what the people want is a badge-engineered Volkswagen version of the Pentastar minivan platform. In the extended commercial, Shields attempts to explain with a straight face that Americans are getting pregnant just so they can buy a Routan and enjoy its German engineering. Except that it's not German engineered, unless you count the fact that Daimler was still married to Chrysler when the van was developed. We certainly don't. Sure, the Routan's Chrysler-sourced suspension was probably tweaked by Volkswagen, and it's got softer styling up front to differentiate it from its Auburn Hills-based brothers, but those credentials are far from enough to call it "German engineered". It's likely that the Routan is a perfectly fine minivan, maybe even markedly better than the Dodge Caravan and Chrysler Town and Country, but does VW honestly think people won't realize it's true origins? To watch the absurdness unfold, click past the break.

[Source: Volkswagen]

Continue reading VIDEO: Brooke Shields pretending VW Routan is NOT a Dodge Caravan

VIDEO: Brooke Shields pretending VW Routan is NOT a Dodge Caravan originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 11 Sep 2008 14:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>brooke shieldsBrookeShieldsroutan boomRoutanBoomvolkswagenvolkswagen commercialvolkswagen commercialsvolkswagen routanVolkswagenCommercialVolkswagenCommercialsVolkswagenRoutanvw advertisementvw advertisingvw commercialVwAdvertisementVwAdvertisingVwCommercialThu, 11 Sep 2008 14:58:00 EST<![CDATA[VIDEO: Heidi Klum and her LoveBug]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2008/04/08/video-heidi-klum-and-her-lovebug/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/04/08/video-heidi-klum-and-her-lovebug/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/04/08/video-heidi-klum-and-her-lovebug/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

So I had this dream last night where I'm hosting a television talk show and interviewing Heidi Klum. Only when I look down, I discover that I'm actually a Volkswagen. When I woke up in the morning, I realized it wasn't a dream, it was a television commercial I saw on YouTube. That's right, the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition cover girl, Victoria's Secret spokesmodel and object of innumerable teenage fantasies has signed on to promote Volkswagen.

Actually, we're getting a little ahead of ourselves, as often happens when Heidi Klum is in the picture. (And being a supermodel, she's in a lot of pictures.) The commercial, which comes to us courtesy of our astute tipster Ben, isn't the first promotion this German supermodel has done for the German automaker. Together with her pop singer husband Seal, Klum has also done some promotional work for the new Tiguan cute-ute. But that little detail won't stop you from enjoying the flirtatious video after the jump, now will it?

[Source: YouTube]

Continue reading VIDEO: Heidi Klum and her LoveBug

VIDEO: Heidi Klum and her LoveBug originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 08 Apr 2008 11:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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This spot is as amazing as the fact that the Phaeton actually made it into production. Of course, its run didn't pan out (at least in the U.S.), but you have to admit the Phaeton's a hell of a car no matter the badge on the grille. This commercial is truly incredible, as well. The expressiveness, detail and natural-looking motion these shadow puppets achieve just boggles the mind. Actually, it makes us wonder if it was a real spectacular feat shot in a single take with many talented performers who had rehearsed it until they were doing it in their sleep; or if it was a digital creation. Either way has its challenges, but we're more impressed with the former, so that's the story we'll continue to tell ourselves.

Video after the jump

[Source: YouTube via Fresh Creation]

Continue reading VIDEO: Xtreme shadow puppets sell the VW Phaeton

VIDEO: Xtreme shadow puppets sell the VW Phaeton originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 30 Jan 2007 14:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>advertisingcommercialphaetonshadow puppetsShadowPuppetsspottvvideovolkswagenvolkswagen advolkswagen commercialvolkswagen spotvolkswagen tvVolkswagenAdVolkswagenCommercialVolkswagenSpotVolkswagenTvTue, 30 Jan 2007 14:01:00 EST