With both Niedermeyers away, Friday’s heroes were Steven Lang and Cammy Corrigan. The two of them, sometimes at odds over matters of faith, saved TTAC from an otherwise assured traffic disaster, caused by the absence of our dear leaders. The two most read posts on Friday’s TTAC were Steven Lang’s review of the Kia Optima in first place, and Cammy Corrigan’s “Ask The Best And Brightest: Have A Favourite Car Ad” in a close second.
Who says there is justice in this world? Steven had to get, drive, and describe a Kia Optima. Hard work. Cammy only had to ask “what are your favourite adverts or advertising campaigns from the auto world?” And the nominations kept pouring in. At the time of this typing, there were 112 comments, most of them with a link to an ad, as required. Some incorrigibles posted without a link, shame on you, stand in the corner.
Not only were the ads posted, they were watched. Due to the work of our Canadian crack coders, we can see how many times someone clicks on a link. Data derived from the click-count are the key to the easiest to write category: “By Popular Vote.” And the winners are… (ranked from most clicked on down:)
The 1984 Little GTI won the most hearts, minds and clicks of the Best & Brightest. Credit: Green Destiny, ScottyDriver.
Second in place was a more serious one, a 420 SEL Mercedes Benz traveling on a highway outside of Melbourne, some time in the late 80s. It had a head-on collision. No fun at all. Usually, not something shown in a TV commercial. But the B&B love it. Credit: Ben.
Next in line is the Isuzu Gemini, which spawned a whole genre of car ballet commercials (to be featured in a later TTAC post.) Credit: Niky
Safety (or smashed cars, you be the judge) rank high in popularity amongst the Best and Brightest, as evidenced by the strong showing of this ad for Volvo’s insipidly named SIPS (Side Impact Protection System). Credit: Cammy Corrigan.
This ad for a Toyota Vios presaged the ghost in the machine problems of possessed Toyotas. They were just a tiny bit off: Loch Ness Monster eats man. Credit: FishTank.
Next in line is an old standby on the Youtube circuit, the lady with the fake steering wheel. It also generated a whole fake steering wheel genre, not to be featured in a future TTAC post, as most of the sequels were duds. The original actually should be disqualified, as it is not a car commercial in the true sense of the word. But we are in a weekend mode and let it slide. Credit: Pgcooldad. Extra credit for nominating it as “My all time favourite non-car car commercial.”
Next comes a classic from Doyle Dane Bernbach’s and Volkswagen’s best times. The venerable “Have you ever wondered how the man who drives a snow plough drives to the snow plough?” Credit: Wgmleslie.
Ah, the Volkswagen classics. Where would advertising be without them? The squeaky earring that needed a dab of oil won the ad many awards and VW a lot of Golf customers. Credit: PaulieWalnut.
Often discussed, but finally found by intrepid B&B searchers: The “Unpimp your ride” ad, with them men and women in white. Credit: Educatordan.
The “By Popular Vote” category starts with a Volkswagen and ends with three Volkswagens. Tribute to Wolfsburg’s great contributions to advertising. As someone who had been there for several decades, I can assure you: The tribute is not totally undeserved.
Any suggestions for tomorrow’s category? Best cute little animals? Best underage drivers? Best commercial set to boomer rock’n’roll?
hrumph! I smell home team bias.
No home team bias. Clean click counting as reported by the TTAC computer …
Thank you, thank you, I’m honored. :P
I think I loved the “Un-pimp my auto” so much cause I was teaching a bunch of high school kids with fart can 4-bangers when the ads came out. (Not saying 4 pots can’t be cool, but dude your mom’s old Mercury Tracer is not.)
I’m a gen-Xer with a geriatric avatar but I’d love to see a “best car commercial set to boomer rock n roll. I’m guessing it’s gonna be a Cadillac commercial that wins that one. I love this site from the B&B to the editors and contributors.
Lady with the steering wheel… Absolute GOLD! Thanks TTAC for letting us share our favorites!
How about SEX for a theme? Not in this weather!
“Due to the work of our Canadian crack coders…”
What is Canadian crack? How do you code it?
Cocaine cut with maple syrup. And I have no idea how you code it.
“If only everything in life was as reliable a a Volkswagen,” you’d never get on a plane again.
The ad features an Mk2 Golf – that was reliable.
Glad to see squeaky earring getting in on the awards :-)
Other great VW ads here:
http://motortorque.askaprice.com/blog/2009/07/06/the-best-uk-volkswagen-car-adverts/
I must say though, that Mercedes Benz S-class ad is absolutely fantastic.
You should’ve held the ceremony for the TTACAAA on the shores of Lake Titicaca. ;P
As an Isuzu cars fan, I’ve seen as many Gemini commercials as found. The one in the Paris Metro and when the I-Mark RS passes the 911 rock.
And then you have the Joe Isuzu on the Impulse, both JR and JI.
Polo: Small but tough…
I haven’t a clue where to look for it online, but I fondly remember a commercial for the Volvo 144 featuring John Cameron Swayze strapped into a 144 and taken on a rally leg, à la Timex commercials of the day.
More cool Isuzu commercials
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ic0UejzZDZ8
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IQiahnitSqs&NR=1
911… “pwned”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bdOlq7bt6I0&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W17JAmzE1rY
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pAAyoeQIhVc&NR=1
These two, both by Modernista, at least deserve honorable mention (no, I have nothing to do with the agency):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nOTJzwzo3xk
I’d really like to see how that same Gemini ad would go if it was done with Lincoln Town Cars or something of that sort…
I think the home team bias remark was more in regards to the number of VW ads… You didn’t happen to e-mail a few former colleagues, did you, Bertel? ;)
Still… the number of VW ads shows just how much VW “gets” advertising.
Too bad that this is a lost skill in Wolfsburg. Current VW advertising back home is downright mediocre. Former colleagues? Most guys responsible for these ads are dead, God have mercy with their wicked souls.
But they have Heidi & Seal, in their pretty Tiguans. Oh well…