Autoblog

Grey Poupon's Pardon Me Lost Footage ad airs during Oscars

Seyth Miersma — Mon, 25 Feb 2013 19:58:00 EST

Filed under: Classics, Sedan, Marketing/Advertising, Videos, Rolls-Royce, Luxury

Those of you that took our tip and tuned in for last night's Academy Awards may have caught the latest iteration of the famous Grey Poupon commercials, featuring a pair of Rolls-Royce sedans and their condiment-loving stewards. The update to the 1981 commercial was only shown in part on television, however, as the mustard company directed viewers to its website to see the entirety of the Lost Footage spot. Of course if you didn't bother then, you can just scroll down to see the full-length two-minute commercial here.

As you're viewing, note that the Grey Poupon marketers did not, it would appear, get official sanction from Rolls-Royce this time around. While the Rollers in the commercial have all sorts of James Bond-like accouterments, they don't appear to have the official Spirit of Ecstasy hood ornaments, for example, and they have restyled lights and grilles. Check out the new spot below, and see if it stacks up to the iconic Pardon Me original.

Continue reading Grey Poupon's Pardon Me Lost Footage ad airs during Oscars

Grey Poupon's Pardon Me Lost Footage ad airs during Oscars originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 25 Feb 2013 19:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Grey Poupon to air new version of famous Rolls-Royce ad, this time with car chase [w/video]

John Neff — Wed, 20 Feb 2013 16:58:00 EST

Filed under: Marketing/Advertising, Videos, Rolls-Royce, Humor

Grey Poupon mustard will revive the concept behind its famous Pardon Me commercials with a new ad that will air only once on television during this Sunday's broadcast of the Academy Awards.

The original spot, which showed two one-percenters sharing the condiment between their Rolls-Royces at an intersection, first aired all the way back in 1981, and variations of it continued up through 1997. Kraft, owner of the Grey Poupon brand, is hoping that reviving the commercial will boost sagging sales and raise the mustard's profile with a younger generation of fancy folk.

So why are we talking about this on Autoblog? Because the new version of the ad won't end with a polite passing of the bottle. Rather, we're told a car chase ensues when the Grey Poupon's owner doesn't get it back. We're assuming the two cars in question will again be a pair of Rolls-Royce sedans, probably Phantoms unless they go with more vintage model years.

This should be an ad worthy of a potty break during January's big NFL game, as a 30-second spot during the Oscars is estimated to cost $1.7 million and the director they got has upwards of 40 Super Bowl commercials under his belt. Scroll down to watch the original ad, and we'll bring you the new one as soon as it airs during the Oscars and becomes available online.

Continue reading Grey Poupon to air new version of famous Rolls-Royce ad, this time with car chase [w/video]

Grey Poupon to air new version of famous Rolls-Royce ad, this time with car chase [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 20 Feb 2013 16:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Toyota gets dishonorable mention in Oscars opening

Chris Shunk — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 08:00:00 EST

Filed under: Government/Legal, Safety, Videos, Toyota

Click above to watch the video after the jump

And here we thought all that Toyota bashing was happening just in Washington, D.C., in Midwest bars and on late night talk shows. It appears Toyota can't even escape the negative press that has come as a result of the company's recent recall woes at the 82 annual Academy Awards, either. During host Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin's opening monologue, the two delivered a shot below Toyota's collective belt in reference to the Japanese automaker's unwanted acceleration issues.

The joke wasn't all that funny and there were even a few boos from the star-studded audience, but the bigger issue for Toyota is that the company's quality woes has officially hit critical mass. After all, we're sure Toyota is elated that many stars are driving around Hollywood in a fully loaded Prius just like Apple was no doubt thrilled when Steven Colbert busted out an iPad on stage at this year's Emmys (Apple actually collaborated with Colbert on that one). But when Steve Martin correlates taking a hit out on someone with giving them a free Toyota... not good. And the headline sponsor of the mother of all awards shows? Hyundai and the 2011 Sonata. Hit the jump to watch the opening of the Oscars, and jog forward to about 6:15 to see the Toyota comment.

[Source: YouTube]

Continue reading Toyota gets dishonorable mention in Oscars opening

Toyota gets dishonorable mention in Oscars opening originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 08 Mar 2010 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Hyundai set to spend Super Bowl-like money to blow out Oscars

Chris Shunk — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 17:31:00 EST

Filed under: Marketing/Advertising, Hyundai

If you didn't get enough of Hyundai at the Super Bowl, we've got some good news for you. You'll see even more of the Korean automaker if you're watching the Oscars this Sunday. Automotive News is reporting that Hyundai has purchased eight spots during the event at a knee-buckling cost of between $2.5 million and $2.8 million per commercial.

Hyundai's plan to become a presence at big events like the Super Bowl and the Oscars is beginning to pay off, too, as more customers are reportedly visiting Hyundai's website to find out more about the company's products. For example, the Korean automaker notes that since the Big Game, web traffic has surpassed the levels it reached during Cash for Clunkers and overall purchase consideration for the brand is up a reported 250 percent since January 2009.

While Hyundai spent big bucks on the actual air time, the automaker likely spent another small fortune bringing in big-name actors to voice the commercials. Jeff Bridges, who typically voices the Hyundai commercials, is among the actors nominated at this year's Oscars, so Hyundai had to procure some new talent. Actually, the automaker picked up four new talents, including Charlie Sheen, Richard Dryfus and Kim Basinger. Sheen will talk up the Hyundai plant in Alabama, Dryfus will voice new spots for the Sonata and Basinger will discuss safety. And the Oscar goes to...

[Source: Automotive News, sub. req. | Image: Gabriel Bouys/AFP/Getty]

Hyundai set to spend Super Bowl-like money to blow out Oscars originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 03 Mar 2010 17:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: Documentary on closure of Ohio GM plant earns Oscar nomination [w/video]

Dan Roth — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 14:29:00 EST

Filed under: Hirings/Firings/Layoffs, Plants/Manufacturing, Videos, GM

HBO Documentaries' "The Last Truck: Closing of a GM Plant" - click above to watch video

Workers at General Motors' Moraine Assembly plant thought they had a couple years. That's what former company CEO Rick Wagoner had said when he announced the eventual shutdown of the plant back in June of 2008. Workers were expecting to continue building Chevrolet Trailblazers, GMC Envoys, and Saab 9-7Xs until 2010. While not good news, it was tempered by the timeline, allowing workers to search for alternate employment without as much panic.

That's not how things played out, however. In October 2008, it was announced that the last day for Moraine Assembly would be December 23 of that year. Merry Christmas. HBO Documentaries' The Last Truck: Closing of a GM Plant is an in-depth look at the effect the wind-down takes on the workers and their community. The film looks beautifully produced with a story woven in the compelling words of humanity. We're not the only ones who think so, either. It has been nominated for an Academy Award for Best Documentary Short. There's a promo video after the jump so you can see what we're on about, and be sure to check HBO's schedule to see when it will air again.

[Source: The Detroit News]

Continue reading Report: Documentary on closure of Ohio GM plant earns Oscar nomination [w/video]

Report: Documentary on closure of Ohio GM plant earns Oscar nomination [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 05 Feb 2010 14:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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VIDEO: Fisker runs commercials in L.A. before Oscars

Jonathon Ramsey — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 18:00:00 EST

Filed under: Hybrid, Green, Marketing/Advertising, Lifestyle

Click above to watch the video after the jump

The Fisker Karma is on its way, and Henrik Fisker wants the world to know about it. The company bought two one-minute spots during the Oscars telecast, and they happened to play just before two of the evening's most hyped celebs did their turns on the crimson shag. You don't learn much about the car during the spot, and frankly it looks a little like something that should be Spike TV late at night, but hey, the word is out. Follow the jump to see it for yourself.

Gallery: Detroit 2009: 2010 Fisker Karma

[Source: Wired]

Continue reading VIDEO: Fisker runs commercials in L.A. before Oscars

VIDEO: Fisker runs commercials in L.A. before Oscars originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 24 Feb 2009 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Hyundai buys up GM's abandoned Oscar ads

Jonathon Ramsey — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 08:29:00 EST

Filed under: Marketing/Advertising, Hyundai

General Motors and Hollywood's little gold statue have been friends for 11 years, but with a reduction in its marketing and ad budget, the U.S. automaker has walked away from high profile events such as the Super Bowl, Emmys, and Oscars. Thankfully for ABC, the multimillion-dollar breach in the 2009 Oscars telecast created by GM's departure has been immediately filled by Hyundai.

As of now, Hyundai has only signed on to take over an unknown quantity of the $1.7-million-plus ad slots - it isn't known whether the Korean automaker will completely replace GM's presence at the awards. Along with a new agency, and an increased marketing budget - and all those SEMA cars - Hyundai's ad buy is another measure of its confidence in the new Genesis and its push to move into premium territory.

[Source: Automotive News, sub. req'd]

Hyundai buys up GM's abandoned Oscar ads originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 09 Oct 2008 08:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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VW MicroBus movie up for an Oscar

Sam Abuelsamid — Thu, 22 Feb 2007 11:04:00 EST

Filed under: Classics, Volkswagen

Click on the photo to see a gallery of high-res shots from the movie

The two biggest highlights of the movie Little Miss Sunshine are the fabulous performance of Alan Arkin as the heroin-addicted, porn-reading grandfather, and the seemingly immortal Volkswagen MicroBus. The yellow type 2 bus just kept soldiering on in spite of a smoked clutch, stuck horn and assorted other maladies. Now the movie is up for four Oscars this Sunday including Best Picture. So far there is no word on whether the bus will be on hand Sunday to haul away the actor's swag bags and trophies, but it sure would be fun to see the Bus run down Joan and Mellisa on the red carpet. Believe it or not, Volkswagen actually issued a press release about this, which you can read after the jump.

[Source: Volkswagen]

Gallery: VW T2 Bus in Little Miss Sunshine

Continue reading VW MicroBus movie up for an Oscar

VW MicroBus movie up for an Oscar originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 22 Feb 2007 11:04:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Celebrities to drive 'green' to Oscar red carpet

Chris Paukert — Sun, 05 Mar 2006 12:30:00 EST

Filed under: Trends, Budget, Hybrid, SUV

The slow roll to the red carpet at tonight's Academy Awards is likely to be a quiet one for many of the night's biggest nominees. Oscar-intenders like Joaquin Phoenix and George Clooney are slated to arrive curbside in Toyota hybrids, as part of the company's fourth annual "Red Carpet, Green Cars" marketing shtick. Given the massive amounts of traffic (vehicular and human) 'round the event, expect a near-silent processional as the company's parade of hybrids will likely arrive in full-electric mode.

For their part, the Ford Motor Company is finally starting to get into the pre-Oscar eco-promotional sweepstakes, as Cathy Schulman (producer of Crash) will exit a Mercury Mariner Hybrid, and Jake Gyllenhaal of Brokeback Mountain fame is set to roll up with his homies in a biodiesel Ford Excursion.

Wither the General? GM will forgo all the green posturing, and instead bring the bling, with a fleet of 50 Cadillacs, largely 2007 Escalades.

No word on if Michael Moore will be attending, and if so, what his 'Whip du jour' will be. (Sorry 'bout the pic, we couldn't resist)

[Source: The Associated Press via The Washington Post]

Celebrities to drive 'green' to Oscar red carpet originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 05 Mar 2006 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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