fastaussie
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of course, it's a Super Bowl commercial. do you have the numbers for the R8 commercial?
Super Bowl Commercial
- Thread starter bonthomme
- Start date
Based on information provided by this site: http://www.prnewswire.com/news-rele...t-traffic-spikes-on-edmundscom-300216648.html
Top 5 Model lifts on Edmonds.com 2/7/2016
661% for the Acura NSX
532% for the Buick Cascada
473% for the Audi R8
291% for the Mini Clubman
275% for the Honda Ridgeline
Top 5 Model lifts on Edmonds.com 2/7/2016
661% for the Acura NSX
532% for the Buick Cascada
473% for the Audi R8
291% for the Mini Clubman
275% for the Honda Ridgeline
Hmmmm...I think that is flawed logic.
Based on that logic the Buick Cascada is of greater interest than the Audi R8
Hmmmm...I think that is flawed logic.
Based on that logic the Buick Cascada is of greater interest than the Audi R8
Not at all. I said earlier that the ads were meant to increase notoriety and brand interest not sell you on $150K+ sports car via an "emotional" commercial. If one makes his decision on expensive car buy based on a commercial then it would be too easy to sell anything!
So it is the forum that has a flawed logic of expecting an "Audi" NSX commercial where it's all flair and minimal substance.
fastaussie
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all flair and minimal substance?
True. But while Acura's Superbowl commercial successfully screams "look at me!", Audi's commercial goes far beyond merely drawing attention to the brand. Like many of Audi's other advertisements this new R8 commercial is designed to covertly appeal to aspirational lifestyle strivers who are obsessed with social status. The ad is littered with visual cues designed to signal that Audi is associated with membership in the upper middle class among a younger generation. Some examples....
1. The father lives in an architect designed home
2. The interior decoration of the house is very stylish. While it may look outdated to many people due to the 1960's style, it is a nod to the Mid-century Modern movement which is popular among upper middle class people right now.
3. The father can afford to hire a helper who serves him meals
4. Being an astronaut, the father is likely famous. Many millennials say they want to become famous and polls show that nearly half believe they will be some day. Audi ads often attempt to appeal to this delusion by portraying the Audi owner as someone who's achieved a level of notoriety in their life that goes beyond the average person.
5. Both the father and son are above average looking men who dress well. In order to stress the son's stylish sensibilities his outfit is comically exaggerated. Where in America do men wear a suit and silk scarf when doing casual activities such as showing your father the new R8? I believe the son represents Audi's archetype owner used for advertising purposes since there are many other Audi ads where the owner looks like nearly the same guy despite being a different actor.
6. It is the son who owns the Audi, not the father. The son has to introduce his clueless father to the wonders of Audi. It's a very similar dynamic to the elderly father who cannot figure out how to use his smartphone or computer and requires guidance from his kids. Ultimately we're led to believe that Audi is the brand of a younger generation that's "in the know". This is a reoccurring theme in Audi's ads. Audi has frequently featured elderly people in their ads in order to create a juxtaposition of who drives an Audi vs. who does not.
By comparison the NSX Superbowl ad contains no social centric elements designed to raise the long term status of the Acura brand. We don't get to see what an NSX owner looks like, his family, or how he lives. The only human element to Acura's ad is David Lee Roth's attention grabbing vocals, an image so American and blue collar that it seems more properly suited for a Corvette or Mustang commercial.
Roth's dubbed in yells and screams sound like he is trying to imitate Joe Walsh's opening to "Meadows". IMHO the original intro (without vocals) of "Runnin' with the Devil" would have been better. Audi's use of Bowie's "Starman" seems more timely because of his recent death and legacy as a musician. What has Van Halen done lately?
The most evident difference to the two commercials mentioned in this thread is that at the end of the Audi commercial the script states "the 205 mph Audi R8 is here." Almost sounds like a jab in the ribs to Acura.
The most evident difference to the two commercials mentioned in this thread is that at the end of the Audi commercial the script states "the 205 mph Audi R8 is here." Almost sounds like a jab in the ribs to Acura.
Very true and well said.
I like HONDA the company, when it is doing what it can do.
When it is doing what it is capable of, it does it better than almost anyone else in the industry.
At the moment it seems to have lost its way.
There seems to be conflict and confusion as to what they stand for.
Their advertisement reflects this confusion and lack of direction just like most if not all of their current offerings.
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Very grating on the ears and nerves...feel like telling him to shut up.
It was smart of them to cater to certain demographic, however the general mass or public would not be able to relate to living in top designed homes or Astronaut life, let alone 99% of society...
Like I said cool commercial, airing on the side of fantasy for most, but I still feel no different about Audi as I still feel that their commercials are better than their cars, stylistically and functionality.
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Read above statement. I find their commercials better than what there cars look like and represent.
Except for the 1/2 second clip that showed the NSX logo, I thought I was watching a Corvette commercial.
Wondering if we'd be having this discussion if the new NSX was universally considered attractive. They could play Britney Spears' unedited live concert vocals and my eyes would be glued to any commercial featuring the Gen-1 or cars like the 458 or Ford GT/GT40, without me wishing the commercial better convinced my neighbors that Acura > BMW or Audi.
Just wanted to comment that I think the search lift at Edmunds (by the way, Mini had the highest brand lift and considered the real winner on their site that night) was really because of the iconic status of 1.0. Without this history I don’t think that ad would have generated much traffic. Think the interest level of Star Wars Phantom Menace Ep 1 more than a decade and a half after the last installment (Ep VI). Good trailers or bad trailers…it didn’t matter, people were gonna check it out. The lift was there because the predecessor proved itself regardless of how good or bad a commercial aired to some degree.
Anyways stats will vary from one site to another. According to Kelley’s Blue Book on their site the R8 had a model lift of 7,780% after the “Commander” commercial aired and searches for Audi on their site spiked 448%. What does this really tell us? That people use KBB more than they use Edmunds
Let’s face it, the car has become known as premium performance at middle-class prices…aka the “affordable ferrari”. And for millennials, it performed pretty well in the Gran Turismos too :wink: But I think people saw the ad and thought, “Oh cool…an awesome sports car I can afford!” Until they went to the site and saw a car they didn’t recognize AND realized they couldn't afford it. :biggrin:
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Interesting observation.
Ha. Not quite that bad...but the DLR out-of-beat hooting’ n’ hollerin’ is somewhat of a reflection of this auto-tuned, sample-pad, millennial mindset to deploy sounds on their command and sorta ruin a classic :redface:
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Wow...this is well done. In a very simplified form (if I may), your synopsis outlines what they want to communicate:
1. Design
2. Style
3. Wealth
4. Success
5. Attractiveness
6. Youth
(Audi is saying if these 6 things matter to you...then the R8 identifies with that.)
In contrast the Acura ad observation play-by-play…
1. Melting grey brick...pouring liquid.
2. Robotic welding...frame rises out of molten liquid.
3. Headlights turn on...taillights.
4. Gauge cluster shot...engine bay.
5. Profile shot...top-down shot.
6. 3/4 shot...drives off.
What did these shots tell us?
1. Nothing (bricks are fairly obscure).
2. Robotic welding.
3. It has headlights and tail lights.
4. Redlines at 7.5k. Predator face engine cover.
5. What it looks like from the side. What it looks like from the top.
6. How it does not look like its predecessor.
As BB said, by comparison this ad "contains no social centric elements that are essential to raise the brands long term status." Audi’s commercial tells a story while this ad is simply just a presentation of facts and images and sounds. There is a saying in brand-building that continues to hold true which is, “Facts tell, but emotions sell.” When you just portray “facts” and/or display “things” without any depth or context, it’s what is also called in branding as “show-up, throw-up”. It’s shallow, it’s fleeting, and doesn’t often end up where it needs to go which is penetrate the viewer’s heart. There is just nothing to remember.
Proof of this is try describing this commercial to an 8yr old and it would go something like this, “You see, there’s these cool images of a brick and melting stuff….the headlights turn on…then a shot of the tach…then tail lights...then a side shot…then a top shot...etc.” In contrast with, “Well there was this astronaut who flew in a spaceship and he’s now old and retired. And you could see in his eyes he’s sorta depressed and longing for the good’ ol days of adventure and pioneering as he sits in his sofa and stares at a wall. His son stops by and wants to show him his new car and seeing the look in his father's eyes...hands him the keys….etc. And you see, the story keeps going. The R8 is being portrayed as the hero-archetype…the remedy for a lifestyle dilemma which actually resonates with the EXACT market demographic they are targeting: People who have money AND want the exact same smile and awe put on their own face that's on the father and son duo.
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I don't agree. The first gen is iconic among enthusiasts but the average car buyer knows nothing of the NSX. Edmunds is an "average" car-buyer's site.
I think Honda has done a better job this round in increasing the NSX name brand to perhaps soon a household name.
I think Honda has done a better job this round in increasing the NSX name brand to perhaps soon a household name.
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Complete agreement.
Without the 1st Gen being a known entity to pretty much anyone with any interest in cars, the 2nd Gen would never have generated much interest.
Interesting that you should say that. Is it a coincidence that a couple of days after the superbowl, what sounds to be a teenage girl (the least likely demographic that this car is aimed to), post a video of herself freaking out over the 2017 Acura NSX on youtube. lol
I just think it's funny everyone here is debating this stuff like it really matters. Truth is we are the minority and the general public does not have the same views as current gen 1 owners. IMO I just think you guys are wasting brain cells fighting over this to be quite honest. All I've done was post some numbers and you guys are like analyzing it to death. It entertaining to read though so I guess keep on arguing about these little things. lol
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This is entertaining to most of us....just like some friends arguing about cars and what works and what doesn't, in their mind
No body ever convinces the other of their point of view....I have never seen someone say, "Well, I never thought of it that way!! Heck, you are absolutely right and I have been wrong all this time my friend. Thanks for showing me the light and acquainting me with true wisdom!!"
That wouldn't be any fun any way
No stress here, just having fun in the free moments while doing what we do for a living.
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You know...it's interesting that you say that cuz I've actually noticed the same thing. I'm gonna go out on a limb here, but I think you're on to something. BB asked, "Why don't we get to see what an NSX owner looks like, his family, or how he lives?" For one, I still don't think they (Acura) are sure who their primary target market is yet for this creation and are truly trying to figure it out. To be real we must remind ourselves that they have NEVER ever sold a car at this price point despite their entire accolade-filled history. This is pretty understandable as they pioneer and attempt to carve out a value-driven supercar price-point category. And second, they might be testing the waters to see if it might actually be females. After all press releases say it's a supercar designed by a woman and has been presented to the public as such. The reality is quite different if you review T. Minami's original patented drawings from almost 8 yrs ago long before she was appointed the lead. So is it disingenuous of Acura to present it that way or is it a marketing strategy? Think of all the women you see driving around town in their SL 550's, Carrera’s, and Cayenne’s. I was just in Scottsdale yesterday for work and let me tell you how many women exiting at the valet drive cars we can only dream of. Mercedes' is launching a campaign called "She's Mercedes" just for women this year in Europe, Porsche’s sales actually doubled in female purchasers just a few years back, and look at these pretty recent stats from AutoData in sales of these brands to female owners.
[TABLE="class: t1"]
<tbody>[TR]
[TD="class: td1"]Lamborghini[/TD]
[TD="class: td2"]+34.9%[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="class: td1"]Porsche[/TD]
[TD="class: td2"]+30.4%[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="class: td1"]Ferrari[/TD]
[TD="class: td2"]+14.1%[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="class: td1"]Bentley[/TD]
[TD="class: td2"]+9.7%[/TD]
[/TR]
</tbody>[/TABLE]
By not revealing their hand, a criticism on my end might be a strategy on their end. Could something like "let's see how many gals buy it but not promote it that way and risk losing any potential male prospects" be swirling around in their minds? It's almost like marketing the car like you would a cell phone where you don't define the end user. Generally speaking it is really, really, really not wise to do this. Even though a car technically “can be for anyone” this car (unlike a phone) really isn’t meant for everyone. As if it were a page torn out of a cell phone manufacturers ad playbook, they really seem to feature product shots and angles of hardware and avoid using people.
As far as wasting brain cells go, some here actually (do or did) analyze data, numbers, consumer/market trends, etc. as part of their livelihood and so we really enjoy this. This is a brand many of us are passionate about which makes following this effortless, and eventually the true outcome of all of this conjecture will become part of history. So to watch and learn now when companies are making decisions in real-time, whether the right moves or wrong, by observing the outcomes make us better at our jobs...so this is TOTALLY fun :biggrin:
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Generally the Audi commercial is better IMHO if you have to choose one or the other with no further discussion on the matter but it's really kind of depressing if you think about it! So the father was a despondent, distant, unmotivated miserable guy to live with for the past 40 years despite obviously having a loving wife, great past career, comfortable house, and successful son? Then when his son drops him off, he kicks the dog walking back to staring at the TV.
On the other hand, if Acura repeated the Honda ball bearing commercial where the ball travels along on gaps in sheet metal from 60's scooters to 70's dirt bikes to the Honda compacts introduced in America 40 years ago to an Acura Legend to a Senna/F1 racecar to the Gen-1 NSX to the early 00's RL to the S2000 then the Gen-2 and with some killer music soundtrack that seamlessly morphs across musical periods....that would be cool.
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And with period-correct engine roars when switching from car to car. Bam.
On the other hand, if Acura repeated the Honda ball bearing commercial where the ball travels along on gaps in sheet metal from 60's scooters to 70's dirt bikes to the Honda compacts introduced in America 40 years ago to an Acura Legend to a Senna/F1 racecar to the Gen-1 NSX to the early 00's RL to the S2000 then the Gen-2 and with some killer music soundtrack that seamlessly morphs across musical periods....that would be cool.
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And with period-correct engine roars when switching from car to car. Bam.
fastaussie
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mate, you'll have to concede this one. Audi definitely trumped Acura big time at the Superbowl. hands down, end of story, full stop.
at the end of the day, i watched it a few times over and it brought a smile to my face. The Acura commercial, once was more than enough. it was alright the first time, but after seeing it again it became a bit annoying and i was left with "that's it"?
I personally don't like the Acura commercial that much, but that's not what I'm discussing here. I'm talking about the actual numbers and how I feel about Audi and their commercials. I could care less what if the others liked or didn't like the NSX/Acura superbowl commercial. I was talking about the intent of the commercial and effects.
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See, you would never hear a teen girl say that about the first gen!
