Advertising That Sucks, ads/promotions, audi, marketing, tt, venables bell

Audi's Venables Bell Provides More Evidence Of Clueless Automotive Advertising

I've been giving the keynote at a couple of interactive automotive advertising conferences over the past month — trying to give the auto ad folks a perspective from the editorial side of what's going on out here on the internet. One of the things I harp on is how it seems some advertising companies are creating creative and have absolutely no idea what's going on once the creative hits the online media. Don't get me wrong, there's a lot of ad agencies who do "get it." But today I've got yet another proof for my theory that auto ad agencies are lagging behind the public relations curve — and it comes to us from the venerable ad agency of Venables Bell. They're the folks who we gently ribbed over their attempt to brand Audi as being the automaker that uses technology to enhance driving, not by getting in the way of the driver. If you'll remember, they did that by requiring their viewer to awkwardly use gimmicky DVR technology to view their 15-second ~~GE advertising campaign rip-off~~ commercial. So, how clueless are they about the internet? Almost six hours after I ran that post I received the following e-mail from Audi's new ad company:

Subject: New Audi TT Commercial Date: Tue, May 8, 2007 at 7:49 PM From: XXXXX XXXXX To: tips @ jalopnik.com
For their first Audi USA TV commercials, agency Venables Bell & Partners created two :15 spots for the new TT roadster and its faster dual clutch gearbox. It's one of the first times that DVR technology will be used as media. To experience this TV spot on your DVR/TiVo, press "pause" and then tap "fast forward" frame-by-frame. www.tt-truth.com

Glad to see someone was paying attention to the site before they sent that. Money well spent Audi, money well spent. – Ray Wert

2:30 PM on Wed May 9 2007
By Ray Wert
2,612 views
17 comments

Comments

SwatLax at 01:46 PM on 05/09/07
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tt-truth.com sounds like a site where someone is trying to make a lame joke about stuttering.
416Hammy at 01:53 PM on 05/09/07
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Good ad... very attention-grabbing...

...but still not as good as the sister car's "Pimp Mein Auto" or "My Fast" ads (i.e., VW GTI).
ujointclothing at 01:55 PM on 05/09/07
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I think it's pretty cool
SwatLax at 02:00 PM on 05/09/07
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I'm just waiting for Al Navaro to pitch his services, since we all know from Davey's trip to Mao's backyard that someone at Audi actually reads the site.

P.S. Al - have you thought about whether Audi could restrict your commenting if you had their account?
Al Navarro at 02:01 PM on 05/09/07
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Okay, I'm in advertising and I have a first gen TT (225 6 speed coupe), and I think this spot blows.

Mostly because it's totally riding on GE's coat tails. But also because A) the vanity URL sucks, and B) they agency sold out and put that "Missed it? Rewind." slate in there...why not have a rim shot in the sound too.

Ray et. al...you will have mail soon.
Al Navarro at 02:07 PM on 05/09/07
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@SwatLax:
Dude, I would totally get an alias. Something like "NotAlNavarro".

Even if I went with something less obvious, you would know me by my trail of gratuitous Caterham references.
Rabbi Dave at 02:08 PM on 05/09/07
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supposedly there's another "real" ad where an A4 driven by a stunt driver parallel parks between two LS460s at high speeds, saying something like Audi, for those who can park themselves.
I want to see that one!
F_munk at 02:11 PM on 05/09/07
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I'm in the ad biz as well and I agree with Al. Interesting concept demonstrating the DSG tranny, but just too gimmicky. Plus, I don't think this is the first ad requiring viewers to have a DVR to get the payoff.
Mischif at 02:34 PM on 05/09/07
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Well I had no problems with the ad; unless something comes before the "faster than a mousetrap" frame and before the "dual clutch" frame. Then I think it sucks.
eastaboga at 04:13 PM on 05/09/07
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Screw all these little girly man slogans

"Vorsprung durch Technik", nuff said (screw 'em if they can't speak German)
eastaboga at 04:15 PM on 05/09/07
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Can a dual clutch actaully have the capacity to be mean?
CUL8R at 07:45 PM on 05/09/07
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The car is ugly.
akirachan at 08:03 PM on 05/09/07
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They should have had the .2-second flashes come up every .5 second so the viewer would have a convulsion, just like the Pokemon incident!! Like they say, there is no such thing as a bad publicity!
Bumblebee at 08:37 PM on 05/09/07
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@Al Navarro: What would be the Brucest part of the Audi account? The R8? But do you really need to advertise that car?
KingRoyale at 12:21 AM on 05/10/07
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Ahhhhh I cringe when I see ad / PR emails like that...

Just do a "Hey here's a new spot from Audi and the new TT you may want to check - PS, might need a TiVo / DVR unless you've been putting carrot farms out of business lately." and be done with it

At least there's humor in it despite the obvious fact that it's still a mass blast email...

*shrugs* but thats just me
Al Navarro at 10:32 AM on 05/10/07
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@Bumblebee:
I meant Bruce really from a marketing challenge POV. You're right, the R8 sells itself. I'd be fine with some small assignment like A4 direct mail rentention for people coming off lease. Okay, so maybe somewhere between that and an R8 new owner communication stream.
comedian at 12:03 AM on 05/11/07
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http://www.ge.com/onesecondtheater